The Duke of Sussex should be awarded up to £320,000 in compensation over the alleged misuse of his private information by a tabloid newspaper publisher, his lawyers say.
Prince Harry’s legal team set out its suggestions for the amount of money he could receive if a judge rules in his favour in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
The duke is suing MGN for damages, claiming journalists at its titles – the Daily and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception, and the use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
Harry alleges 147 stories from 1996 to 2010, published by MGN titles, used information obtained through unlawful means.
The articles cover the duke’s relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a few injuries and illnesses, his military service and allegations of drug use.
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Some 33 articles, dated between 1996 and 2009, were selected for examination during the trial of Harry’s and others’ contested claims against the publisher.
In a court document released to the media on Friday – the final day of a trial in London – the duke’s lawyers suggested he could be awarded up to £320,000 if his case is successful in relation to all of these 33 stories.
The duke may also be awarded more if the judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, concludes Harry is also entitled to “aggravated damages”, for additional distress or injury to feelings arising from the nature of the alleged wrongdoing.
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MGN has told the trial that it denies that 28 out of the 33 articles involved unlawful information gathering and that it was not admitted for the remaining five articles.
Harry’s case is being heard alongside similar claims by actor Michael Turner, who is known professionally as Michael Le Vell and best known for playing Kevin Webster in Coronation Street, actress Nikki Sanderson and comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman.
MGN is largely contesting the claims and denies that any of the articles complained of resulted from phone hacking, while contending that the vast majority did not arise from any other unlawful activity.
