Paul Dacre, Editor-in-Chief of Associated Newspapers Ltd, has declared the High Court’s dismissal of phone-hacking allegations against the Daily Mail an “overwhelming vindication” of the publication’s journalism.
The judge threw out every single one of the 97 claims brought by Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elton John and three other claimants.
In his statement, Mr Dacre said: “Today’s verdict is not just a victory for Associated’s magnificent journalists – several of whom have had a terrible toll imposed on their health and lives – but a free press generally.”
He described the ruling as “a momentous victory for the Mail.”
The Duke of Sussex arriving for the Invictus Games Foundation Conversation on Tuesday
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PA
Mr Dacre also invoked the memory of Harry’s late mother in his statement, claiming Princess Diana had a warm relationship with the newspaper.
“The bitter irony is that his mother, Diana, liked the Mail. We were her paper,” he said.
The editor-in-chief stated that the Mail supported Diana during her difficult split from Charles, adding: “She and I would speak and meet. The Mail’s superb royal reporter was her friend and confidante.”
Mr Dacre expressed sympathy for the duke, describing him as “a confused and angry young man” who had been “drawn into this case.”
Paul Dacre issued a video statement after Harry’s defeat
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ANL
The ruling was delivered as the Duke of Sussex addressed delegates at an Invictus Games conference in St James’s Square, London.
Harry showed no visible signs of disappointment when he took to the stage to discuss the legacy of the military charity he established in 2014.
Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all claims brought against the Daily Mail publisher by the six claimants, who had accused the newspaper of unlawful information gathering including placing bugs in homes, cars, cafés and landline phones.
The defeat marks a significant setback for Harry, who had previously won cases against the publishers of the Sun, News of the World and Mirror titles.
Princess Diana had a warm relationship with the Mail, Paul Dacre claims
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GETTY
Mr Dacre took aim at Harry’s complaints about privacy intrusion, pointing to the duke’s own memoir revelations about killing Taliban fighters, drug use and intimate personal details.
“There isn’t a laundry in the cosmos big enough to wash all the dirty linen he has aired about his own family,” he said. “For him, to complain about HIS privacy being invaded takes, not just the biscuit, but the whole tin.”
The editor-in-chief characterised the legal action as “a conspiracy, supported by Hacked Off, to destroy a paper” and claimed it had cost more than £50million while wasting considerable court time.