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A story Prince Harry claims was illegally hacked by the Daily Mail in fact came entirely legitimately via a royal family press officer, according to Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English.
Another story Harry said included illegally obtained flight information in fact came from a source at Leeds University who knew Prince Harry’s former girlfriend Chelsy Davy, English has told the High Court.
Prince Harry and others are currently suing the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday over articles they claim were obtained a result of hacking, tapping, bugging and blagging. Publisher Associated Newspapers denies all the claims.
Prince Harry’s legal team says that an email sent by freelance journalist Mike Behr to a journalist from The Sun and English (surfaced by other litigation) included illegally obtained flight information. English says she has no recollection of ever seeing the email in question, did not ask for the information and did not act on it.
English said in her witness statement: “As a journalist, I have a responsibility to report fully and accurately, and to ask difficult questions including on subjects that the Royals might find sensitive or would prefer not be scrutinised but nonetheless are newsworthy. It is not always light-hearted, sugar-coated reporting, but I do also positively cover their day-to-day work…
“I take such pride in my work and everything that I have achieved, having worked hard over thirty years to establish professional relationships and connections with people from scratch. My ability to do my job depends on my reputation as someone who can both break stories and knows what they are writing about in an informed but fair manner.”
She added: “I have never hacked or tapped a phone or used subterfuge in my reporting, or asked anyone else to do so. I would describe myself as an old school, ‘shoe-leather’ journalist…
“My practice is to investigate and research stories myself. It did not occur to me that others might not be doing the same thing. I had never heard of hacking until the arrest of Clive Goodman in 2006 and was shocked to find out that was how the News of the World had been getting stories.
“My editors would ask why I wasn’t getting the same stories and I had thought at the time that I simply wasn’t as good a journalist or as well connected. I only realised later, when the news of Clive Goodman’s arrest broke, that we were not on the same playing field. This was deeply upsetting.”
Rebecca English says sourcing of article ‘could not have been more straightforward’
Prince Harry highlighted a number of articles written by English that he believes were obtained through illegal newsgathering.
One example is a story headlined: “How Harry Fell in Love”, published in the Daily Mail on 2 December 2004.
He said: “This was the early days in my relationship with Chelsy. She did not go round telling people, nor would I share private information with strangers around a campfire. It is upsetting to me that Associated were the first to break a lot of the news around Chelsy, given they were competing with unlawful methods of information gathering deployed by other newspapers.”
English said: “The opening anecdote about Prince Harry sitting round a camp fire in Botswana talking about having fallen in love was given to me by Sam Greenhill, another Daily Mail general reporter working in the newsroom. It’s a story that Prince Harry himself retells in his autobiography.”
She said the campfire story was a tip that came in to the newsdesk.
She said further details contained in this and other stories came from cuttings, the royal press offices and other legitimate sources.
Harry said that an English article headlined “Let her rest in peace” from 15 July contained “private, sensitive and distressing information about confidential discussions I had with various members of the Royal Family”.
It related to concerns raised by the Royal Family that an Italian magazine had published a photograph of Princess Diana as she was dying.
Harry said: “The amount of information and detail in this article would not have come from Clarence House; they were plainly listening in to calls as well as spending large sums on private investigators. To do that is simply shameful but to publish it I feel is beyond cruel and an abuse of journalistic privilege which I find extremely upsetting.”
English said the story quoted a press statement put out jointly by Princes William and Harry.
She added: “I called the press officer at either Kensington or St James’ Palace – I can’t remember which it was – and asked directly whether Prince William was managing the response or whether this was a joint decision by them both. I was told no, that Prince William had taken charge and telephoned Prince Harry and they were of the same mind on this issue. The press officer confirmed that it was a highly emotional call for both of them and that they had the full support of their father.
“I also asked whether the Princes were taking legal action against the Italian magazine, as it would have been a major development if they were, but was told by the press officer that they were not. As a precaution in light of the discussion I had had with my editor, and the nature of story, I asked the press officer whether Princes William and Harry would object to us writing about it and the press officer said that they would not.
“The sourcing of this story could not have been more straightforward – I put in a call to the Palace press office, and they told me the Princes had spoken by telephone.”
Rebecca English: Flight details likely to have come from friends of Chelsy Davy
Prince Harry contends that an English article headlined: “Harry takes Chelsy on a make or break holiday” published on 8 December included illegally obtained private information about flight details.
Harry said in own witness statement: “Rebecca English paid for flight information on a number of occasions, including, it appears, in relation to this story. Associated’s article is packed full of detail as to Chelsy’s and my plans but it is very concerning indeed: not only is obtaining flight details illegal but publishing information relating to it created a real security risk.”
English said: “I think it is likely to have come from sources I had developed at Leeds University who were friends with Chelsy Davy and part of her circle.”
She said it is possible that a £200 payment to a source identified in legal disclosure related to this story.
English said a similar story also appeared in the first edition of the Daily Star on the same day: “This makes me think that the same tip must have been given to multiple papers whether by a single source or a number of people from Chelsy or Harry’s social circle who had that same information… I think it most likely would have been one of the students from Leeds.”
Harry’s legal team contends that English sourced illegally obtained flight details from freelance journalist Mike Behr.
She said: “I have never asked him, or anyone else, to ‘blag’ information for me. ‘Blagging’ is not a term that I was even aware of until these proceedings. I understood that he got information from his contacts and that those were legitimate sources.”
English was cross-examined in court on this point by Prince Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne.
The barrister said the information “could only have been obtained from the computer system” of the airline used by Davy.
English replied: “I do not know how this could have been obtained because it was never asked for and it was never acted upon, and so I cannot speculate because I do not know.”
Sherborne: “Here you are provided with the exact flight details and seat numbers for Ms Davy. You asked for them, didn’t you?”
English again denied asking for the information and also said: “He [Behr] was never asked for anything like this, ever.”
Sherborne: “He is providing confirmation for something you asked for.”
English replied that she did not remember seeing the email and that the Mail would “never even be interested” in planting someone next to Davy.
Sherborne: “I suggest to you that this is an example of a number of flight information blags that Mr Behr carried out for you in relation to stories about Prince Harry.”
English responded: “I do not accept that.”
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