Key Witness Alleges Doreen Lawrence Was 'Conned' Into Joining Legal Claim Against Newspapers
A pivotal witness in a high-profile privacy case testified on Monday that Baroness Doreen Lawrence was 'conned' into participating in a legal claim against newspapers. Private detective Gavin Burrows, aged 55, insisted that statements submitted to the High Court under his name were 'complete and utter untruth', asserting that Baroness Lawrence, Prince Harry, and other public figures involved were 'seriously misled'.
Burrows Denies Allegations and Claims Forgery
During his evidence, Mr Burrows repeatedly denied having worked for the Daily Mail or The Mail on Sunday. He is a key figure in a breach of privacy case brought by seven public figures, including Baroness Lawrence, 73, and the Duke of Sussex, 41, against Associated Newspapers, which publishes both titles. The publisher denies allegations that its journalists commissioned private detectives to hack voicemails, intercept landline calls, bug vehicles and properties, and 'blag' private information.
Lawyers for the claimants, who also include Liz Hurley, Sir Elton John, and Sadie Frost, submitted purported witness statements from Mr Burrows as part of their case. In a 2021 statement, the private detective allegedly claimed he had targeted 'hundreds, possibly thousands of people' for The Mail on Sunday. However, in a 2023 rebuttal, Mr Burrows stated he had never been commissioned by anyone from the Mail or the MoS to conduct unlawful information gathering and declared the signature on the 2021 statement was 'a forgery'.
Allegations of Deception and Revenge
Mr Burrows blamed former tabloid journalist and convicted phone hacker Graham Johnson, a member of the research team working for the claimants, for the situation. He branded Mr Johnson 'a proven conman' and 'professional liar', describing the witness statement submitted in his name as 'a load of rubbish'. David Sherborne, representing the claimants, suggested that Mr Burrows' claims of forgery and fakery arose after a 'falling out' with Mr Johnson over money, adding: 'This is simply revenge.'
In his opening submissions earlier in the trial, Mr Sherborne had labelled Mr Burrows' assertions as 'wild and unsubstantiated', which Mr Burrows denied. Under cross-examination, Mr Burrows responded: 'Apart from calling me Jack the Ripper you've put every possible name in there you could possibly think of.' He went on to say, in an apparent reference to Mr Johnson: 'The man went too far. Your little creator went too far. I believe you've been conned.'
Background and Motives Behind the Claims
Mr Burrows detailed that Mr Johnson had offered him a book deal to publish a memoir and had paid him to provide 'expert opinion' on how private detectives collaborated with newspapers. He claimed the former journalist was fixated on the Mail and repeatedly pressured him to admit he had carried out work for the newspaper and the MoS, which he consistently refused. Mr Burrows explained that a notation where he wrote: 'That was definitely me, a hardwire tap of a phone call from Liz [Hurley]' was intended as a joke with Mr Johnson, describing it as 'banter'.
Expressing his anger, Mr Burrows said he was 'absolutely furious' upon discovering a witness statement had been submitted in his name and that Baroness Lawrence had joined the case after learning of his supposed evidence. He added: 'I thought Baroness Lawrence had been conned, so I called the Mail.' Following this, he sought independent legal advice and filed a fresh witness statement to the High Court, denying the earlier allegations.
Mr Burrows alleged that Mr Johnson hoped Associated Newspapers would settle out of court to avoid negative publicity. The trial continues, with ongoing scrutiny of the evidence and testimonies in this contentious legal battle.
