Prince Harry Accused of Destroying Evidence in Privacy Lawsuit
The Sun's lawyer alleges Prince Harry obstructed justice by destroying key documents
An attorney for The Sun tabloid has accused Prince Harry of destroying evidence in his privacy lawsuit against the newspaper. Lawyer Anthony Hudson claimed at the High Court that the Duke of Sussex deliberately erased text messages with the ghostwriter of his memoir, 'Spare.' Hudson described this as 'shocking' and 'extraordinary' obfuscation.
Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, countered that News Group Newspapers (NGN) was on a 'classic fishing expedition' for documents they should have sought earlier for the January trial. Sherborne stated that Harry had conducted extensive searches and exceeded his disclosure obligations.
Hudson argued that Harry created obstacles to obtaining documents from his former lawyers and royal staff. Sherborne maintained that Harry has been transparent and cooperative in the legal process.
This hearing is part of Harry's ongoing legal battles against major British tabloids over alleged phone hacking and unlawful information gathering. Harry, along with other claimants including actor Hugh Grant, alleges that NGN journalists invaded their privacy between 1994 and 2016 using methods like voicemail interception and phone tapping. This litigation stems from a phone hacking scandal that led to the closure of News of the World in 2011.
Recently, a judge ruled that Harry could not add allegations that Rupert Murdoch, former executive of the company including NGN, was involved in concealing and destroying evidence of unlawful activity. NGN apologized in 2011 for voicemail interception by News of the World but has not accepted liability for The Sun