Prince Harry wins phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher, awarded 140,000 pounds

By BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry has won his phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror and was awarded over 140,000 pounds ($180,000) in the first of his several lawsuits against the tabloids to go to trial. Justice Timothy Fancourt in the High Court found on Friday that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at Mirror Group Newspapers over many years. He says private investigators were used substantially and “were an integral part of the system” to gather information unlawfully. He says executives at the papers were aware of it and covered it up. He says Mirror Group was not responsible for all of the unlawful activity directed at the duke.