In a dramatic High Court appearance, a former newspaper executive has vehemently denied allegations that he commissioned a private investigator to hack phones, describing the claims as "a litany of lies." Paul Henderson, who served as investigations editor and news editor at The Mail on Sunday during a distinguished fifty-year journalism career, branded the accusations "grotesque" and "surreal."
Denial of Illegal Surveillance Claims
Mr Henderson explicitly rejected suggestions that he hired private investigator Gavin Burrows to target high-profile figures such as Prince Harry and Sir Elton John. He told the court he never instructed Burrows or anyone else to engage in phone hacking, vehicle tracking, bug placement, or information "blagging"—a term referring to the deceptive acquisition of private data.
Disputed Confession and Forgery Allegations
The case centres on a disputed confession from Mr Burrows, who purportedly admitted to conducting unlawful information gathering for the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. However, Burrows has since retracted this statement, claiming his signature was forged and the confession is false. Mr Henderson seized on this, describing the document as a "litany of lies" and emphasising that he would never have been involved in such activities.
"I would like the claimants in this action to know I never did any of this," Mr Henderson stated firmly. "These lies are being used against me on matters I would never, ever have got involved in." He added that if anyone had proposed illegal acts to him, he would have immediately terminated the meeting and severed contact.
Associated Newspapers' Defence
Associated Newspapers, the publisher of both the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, has also denied the allegations, labelling them "preposterous." The company insists its journalists did not commission private investigators to hack voicemails, intercept landline calls, or blag private information from claimants.
Connection to Previous Phone Hacking Investigations
The court heard that Mr Henderson was previously contacted by Scotland Yard during its phone hacking investigation, where he was informed he might have been a victim of convicted private detective Glenn Mulcaire. Mulcaire has admitted attempting to hack targets within the company to obtain information for other newspapers.
During the trial, Mr Henderson was shown a "pitch" memo allegedly outlining Mulcaire's services. He responded with outrage, calling it "very, very serious allegations and a very, very serious so-called menu of illegal acts." He reiterated his innocence, stating, "I would not have got involved."
Background and Career Context
Mr Henderson highlighted his professional history, which specialised in "serious investigations and foreign assignments." Notably, he played a role in tracking down the Lockerbie bomb suspect in Libya, underscoring his commitment to legitimate journalism. This background, he argued, makes the current claims against him all the more implausible.
The trial continues as the court examines the evidence and testimonies related to these serious allegations of illegal surveillance and information gathering.
