The High Court heard on Wednesday that a convicted phone hacker used substantial funds from the late Formula One boss and privacy campaigner Max Mosley to pay a series of private investigators central to the landmark privacy case brought by Prince Harry and other public figures.
Substantial Payments to Investigators Revealed
Graham Johnson, a former tabloid journalist who received a suspended sentence for phone hacking in 2014, testified that more than £125,000 was disbursed to various hackers, alleged 'blaggers', and private detectives during his research into claims against the Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday. He stated these payments were made as part of his investigative journalism work, not as part of a scheme to bring legal claims against the newspapers or to pay witnesses for their evidence.
Mosley's Financial Involvement and Instructions
A document presented to the court revealed that a company linked to Mr Mosley provided a significant loan of £565,000 to Mr Johnson's publishing company, Yellow Press. Mr Johnson recalled that Mr Mosley, who died in 2021, later instructed him to 'beef up the propaganda' against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) and to restart a campaign against the newspaper group. In one 2018 meeting, Mr Mosley effectively told him to launch claims against ANL, according to Mr Johnson's testimony.
The Broader Legal Claim
Seven prominent individuals, including the Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, allege they were subjected to unlawful information gathering commissioned by the Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday. Associated Newspapers, the publisher of both titles, vehemently denies these allegations, describing the claims as 'simply untrue' and 'preposterous'. The company maintains its journalists did not commission phone hacking, landline tapping, or blagging of private information.
Cross-Examination on Specific Payments
Under rigorous cross-examination by Antony White KC, representing Associated Newspapers, Mr Johnson acknowledged making specific payments to individuals now serving as witnesses in the case. These included approximately £75,000 to private detective Gavin Burrows, £22,000 to convicted phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire, and £13,000 to another convicted hacker, Greg Miskiw. Mr Johnson repeatedly denied that these payments constituted paying witnesses for evidence or that he had influenced witnesses to align with a preconceived agenda.
Background and Funding Sources
Mr Johnson, aged 57, is part of a legal research team working for the claimants in this high-profile case. He collaborated with Dr Evan Harris, a director of the pressure group Hacked Off, to investigate alleged unlawful activities by newspapers. His work received financial backing from several sources, including Hacked Off supporter Hugh Grant, Max Mosley, and Geoffrey Stunt, the father of socialite James Stunt.
Max Mosley became a prominent press regulation campaigner after successfully suing the now-defunct News of the World, which had falsely reported his involvement in a 'Nazi-themed' sex party. His later years were dedicated to advocating for tighter press controls.
The case continues at the Royal Courts of Justice, with further testimony expected to shed light on the complex relationships between funders, investigators, and the legal claims against one of Britain's major newspaper publishers.
