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At the centre of Prince Harry’s High Court battle with Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) were a selection of 33 articles dated between 1996 and 2009.

The stories, published in the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the People, covered the Duke of Sussex’s relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, his military service, injuries and illnesses, and allegations of drug use.

Mr Justice Fancourt found that 15 out of the 33 articles were the product of phone hacking or other unlawful information gathering.

Follow latest: Prince Harry v Mirror group

The judge said Harry’s phone was “hacked to a modest extent”, which was probably “carefully controlled by certain people at each newspaper” and happened on occasions from about the end of 2003 to April 2009.

Articles Harry won

“Harry took drugs” and “Cool it Harry” – Sunday Mirror on 13 January 2002

“Harry’s cocaine ecstasy and GHB parties” – The Mirror on 14 January 2002

“Wills.. Seeing Burrell is only way to stop him selling more Diana secrets. Harry no.. Burrell’s a two-faced s*** who’ll use visit to make money” – The People on 28 December 2003

“Harry is a Chelsy fan” – Daily Mirror on 29 November 2004

“When Harry met Daddy… The biggest danger to wildlife in Africa” – Daily Mirror on 13 December 2004

“Harry’s girl ‘to dump him'” – Daily Mirror on 15 January 2005

“Chelsy is not happy” – Daily Mirror on 15 January 2005

“Chelsy’s gap EIIR” – The People on 24 April 2005

“Chel shocked” – The People on 9 April 2006

“Davy stated” – The People on 16 September 2007

“Er, OK if I drop you off here?” – Sunday Mirror on 2 December 2007

“Soldier Harry’s Taliban” – The People on 28 September 2008

“He just loves boozing & army she is fed up & is heading home” – Sunday Mirror on 25 January 2009

“Harry’s date with Gladiators star” – The People on 19 April 2009

“Chelsy’s new fella” – The People on 26 April 2009

Drugs allegations

The judge found articles relating to Harry’s alleged drug taking had likely been the product of unlawful information gathering.

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“Harry took drugs” and “Cool it Harry” – Sunday Mirror on 13 January 2002

Harry said that whilst this article, which contained allegations he had smoked cannabis, was a follow-up to stories in the News of the World, there were invoices concerning his friend Guy Pelly and people connected to the story at the time.

MGN denied any unlawful information gathering and said that news agencies, a freelance journalist, and a source were paid for the articles.

“Harry’s cocaine ecstasy and GHB parties” – The Mirror on 14 January 2002

This front-page story claimed that some of the duke’s friends had taken “hard drugs” in front of him, including ecstasy, cocaine and GHB, reporting that the Prince of Wales – now the King – was “terrified”.

Harry said in his evidence “it is not clear to me where the defendant’s journalists could have possibly obtained these quotes from”. But MGN denied unlawful activity and said there is no evidence of phone hacking.

In relation to both stories, Mr Justice Fancourt said: “I find that it is very likely that unlawful methods were used, including voicemail interception (VMI), though I am not persuaded that this included the duke’s own phone.

“I am persuaded that VMI of some of the duke’s associates probably took place, though not of the duke himself.”

Harry’s relationship with Chelsy Davy

Many of the articles the judge sided with Harry on related to his relationship with Chelsy Davy, who he first met while she was a boarder at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire.

“Er, OK if I drop you off here?” – Sunday Mirror on 2 December 2007

This article claimed that a photo of Ms Davy leaving Kensington Palace was “proof” the duke had “patched things up” with her.

Harry questioned “what are the chances” that a photographer was there to capture the moment, adding that MGN made a “mind-boggling” amount of inquiries and payments. The publisher said there is no evidence of phone hacking and that the duke had “no reasonable expectation of privacy” in dropping Ms Davy off outside the palace gates.

The judge found “information about the whereabouts of Ms Davy and the arrangements for her to spend the night in Kensington Palace are likely to have been obtained by voicemail interception”.

“Harry is a Chelsy fan” – Daily Mirror on 29 November 2004

Harry said the author of a story showing a picture of Ms Davy, whom the duke had started dating, was a “prolific” user of private investigators who were known phone hackers, while MGN said the details came from a previous report in the Mail on Sunday, as well as two confidential sources.

Read more: Key findings in Prince Harry v Mirror Group Newspapers judgment

The judge said the story was “probably stood up by the Mirror by commissioning PIs to blag flight information, credit card details or phone billing data”, adding: “That unlawful activity was, I find, specifically instructed from London.”

Harry’s military career

“Soldier Harry’s Taliban” – The People on 28 September 2008

This article claimed Harry had been “banned from going back to war” in Afghanistan, despite his “desperation” to return.

He alleged details were obtained by “unlawful means” and that people with the information would not want to “jeopardise my career by speaking about it”, but the publisher said there is no evidence of phone hacking and the “public interest” in the story outweighed “any minimal privacy interest”.

Mr Justice Fancourt said: “There is likely to have been VMI or other unlawful information gathering (UIG) involved in reporting this story.”

The articles Harry lost

The judge said the other 18 articles didn’t stand up to careful analysis, noting “there was a tendency for the duke in his evidence to assume that everything published was the product of voicemail interception because phone hacking was rife within Mirror Group at the time”.

Articles Harry lost

“Diana so sad on Harry’s big day” – Daily Mirror on 16 September 1996

“Princes take to the hills for gala” – Daily Mirror on 17 July 2000

“3am – Harry’s time at the bar” – Daily Mirror on 19 September 2000

“Snap… Harry breaks thumb like William; Exclusive” – Daily Mirror on 11 November 2000

“Rugger off Harry” – Sunday Mirror on 11 November 2000

“Harry’s sick with kissing disease” – Daily Mirror on 29 March 2002

“No Eton trifles for Harry, 18” – Daily Mirror on 16 September 2002

“Matured Harry is a godfather” – The People on 20 April 2003

“Harry to lead cadet’s march” – Daily Mirror on 29 April 2003

“Harry is ready to quit Oz” – Daily Mirror on 27 September 2003

“Beach bum Harry” – Daily Mirror on 16 December 2003

You did what!” – Sunday Mirror on 6 February 2005

“Who dares Windsors” – Daily Mirror on 4 March 2005

“Harry carry!” – The People on 15 May 2005

“Hooray Harry’s dumped” – Sunday Mirror on 11 November 2007

“Down in the dumped” – Daily Mirror on 12 November 2007

“Harry fear as mobile is swiped” – Daily Mirror on 26 July 2008

“3am: What a way to Harry on” – Daily Mirror on 26 March 2009

Lazy journalism

Mr Justice Fancourt said some of the articles were just “lazy journalism”, such as:

“3am: What a way to Harry on” – Daily Mirror on 26 March 2009

This article claimed Harry “openly cavorted” with a new girlfriend at a Twickenham rugby match.

The duke said details in the article are incorrect and that payments to a private investigator show the woman was of interest to MGN, while the publisher said information came from a prior Press Association report.

The judge said: “This 3am article was just lazy journalism, “our spy” was an invention, and no UIG was involved in relation to the duke’s private information, which in any event could not include what happened in a hospitality box at a public event.”

Hopeless

Other claims were dismissed as “hopeless”, including:

“Snap… Harry breaks thumb like William; Exclusive” – Daily Mirror on 11 November 2000

An article reported that Harry had chipped a bone in his thumb and had a minor operation following an accident during a game of football.

The duke said he found the level of detail in the story as “surprising” and that he believed the palace had been approached for comment rather than being a source. However, MGN said the information was in the public domain and had been repeatedly reported the previous day.

Mr Justice Fancourt said “this claim is hopeless”, adding: “There is no evidence and no inherent likelihood that VMI or UIG were used in this case.”

“Harry is ready to quit Oz” – Daily Mirror on 27 September 2003

This page-seven story reported that the duke was considering leaving his gap year in Australia due to press intrusion.

Harry said evidence showed that MGN was paying to have him watched as the piece describes that he was inside “watching videos”, while the publisher said the information came from press statements by Clarence House, and also appeared in other outlets.

The judge said: “The claim in respect of this article is also hopeless.”

Pure speculation

“Rugger off Harry” – Sunday Mirror on 11 November 2000

This article described an injury the duke had suffered while playing polo which had resulted in him having to stop playing rugby.

Harry said the article is “brazen” and attributes some details to an unnamed royal source despite there being no comment from the palace, while MGN said the information came from a “confidential Eton source” with no evidence of unlawful information gathering.

“That is pure speculation,” the judge said of Harry’s claim. “I consider that it is more likely than not that there was no unlawful means used to obtain this information.”

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‘Rapper’ who murdered schoolboy recalled to prison after ‘boasting about his violent crime’, Probation Service says

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'Rapper' who murdered schoolboy recalled to prison after 'boasting about his violent crime', Probation Service says

The man who served 14 years in jail for the murder of schoolboy Jimmy Mizen has been recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions.

It follows reporting in The Sun newspaper that Jake Fahri, 35, was a drill rapper releasing music under the name TEN, who conceals his identity with a balaclava, and was played on BBC 1Xtra.

A Probation Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Jimmy Mizen’s family who deserve better than to see their son’s murderer shamelessly boasting about his violent crime.”

Jimmy’s father Barry told Sky News: “We’re not gloating or anything, in a way it’s quite sad.”

His son bled to death after Fahri threw an oven dish at him in a south London bakery on 10 May 2008.

The dish shattered on his chin and severed an artery in the schoolboy’s neck.

Fahri was 19 when he was given a life sentence in 2009 with a minimum term of 14 years and was released on licence in June 2023.

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His music was played on BBC 1Xtra less than 18 months later, the Sun reported, adding that DJ Theo Johnson named him an “up-and-coming star”.

Undated Family handout photo of 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen. Comedian Harry Hill will today present the keys of two minibuses in memory of the murdered schoolboy. Just days before the anniversary of the teenager's death on May 10, Hill will hadn over the keys of the "Jimmybuses" which will help Scouts travel around the UK.
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Jimmy Mizen. Pic: PA

Jimmy’s father earlier said he and his wife Margaret were “stunned into silence” when they were told about Fahri’s music, which often features violent themes.

In one song, which appears to reference Jimmy’s death, he raps about “sharpening” a blade.

“Judge took a look at me, before the trial even started he already knows he’s gonna throw the book at me,” the lyrics say.

Another track includes the lines: “See a man’s soul fly from his eyes and his breath gone… I wanted more, it made it less wrong. Seeing blood spilled same floor he was left on.”

The BBC has said the artist’s tracks do not feature on any BBC playlists, and that a track which appeared to reference Jimmy’s death had never been played on its channels.

A spokesman for the broadcaster added there were “no further plans to play his music”, adding: “We were not aware of his background and we in no way condone his actions.”

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A Probation Service spokesperson said: “All offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions. As this case shows, we will recall them to prison if they break the rules.”

Jimmy’s parents founded the Mizen Foundation after their son’s death. The charity helps young people in London who are escaping violence.

Mr Mizen said: “It appears that if he’s been recalled to prison, he must’ve breached his licence conditions

“What happens next, we’ve absolutely no idea.”

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Madeleine McCann suspect won’t face charges for foreseeable future, prosecutor tells Sky News

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Madeleine McCann suspect won't face charges for foreseeable future, prosecutor tells Sky News

The man suspected of abducting Madeleine McCann won’t face any charges in the foreseeable future, a prosecutor has told Sky News.

German drifter Christian B, who cannot be fully identified under his country’s privacy law, is expected to be freed from an unrelated jail sentence this year while police in three countries continue to search for evidence against him.

Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said: “There is currently no prospect of an indictment in the Maddie case.

“As things stand, the accused Christian B’s imprisonment will end in early September.”

Madeleine, aged three, was asleep with her younger twin siblings in the family’s Portuguese rented holiday apartment before mother Kate discovered her missing at around 10pm on 3 May, 2007.

Her parents were dining nearby on the complex with friends and taking turns to check on all their sleeping children every half an hour.

A man, who is a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal, stands next to his lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher at his trial on unrelated sexual assault charges in Braunschweig, Germany, October 2, 2024. Christian B., is charged with three counts of aggravated rape and two counts of sexual abuse of children in Portugal between June 2007 and December 2000. Moritz Frankenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Image:
Christian B at his trial on unrelated sexual assault charges in Germany last year. Pic: Reuters

Madeleine’s disappearance has become the world’s most mysterious missing child case.

Philipp Marquort, one of Christian B’s defence lawyers, welcomed the prosecutor’s pessimism about bringing charges.

He said: “This confirms the suspicions that we have repeatedly expressed, namely that there is no reliable evidence against our client.

“We regret that we have not yet been granted access to the investigation files. We have not yet been able to effectively counter the public prejudice arising from statements made by the prosecutor’s office.”

Christian B, 47, is in jail and coming to the end of his sentence for the rape of an elderly American woman in Praia da Luz, the Portuguese resort where Madeleine disappeared.

In October, he was acquitted on a series of rape and indecent assault charges after a non-jury trial in Germany, in which several references were made to his status as the main suspect in the Madeleine case.

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File photo dated 30/04/17 of Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal seventeen years ago. They have released a statement on the 17th anniversary of her disappearance, saying "the absence still aches". Earlier this week, it was confirmed that up to a further ..192,000 has been granted by the Home Office for the Scotland Yard investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. Issue date: Friday May 3, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Portugal. Photo credit should read: Joe Giddens/PA Wire....
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Kate and Gerry McCann. Pic: PA

The prosecutor said he was awaiting the court’s written judgment before launching an appeal against the acquittal. He believes the trial judges were biased against the prosecution.

If successful, he could apply for a new arrest warrant for Christian B to keep him in custody until a retrial with new judges.

He said: “We hope that the Federal Court of Justice will decide before the end of the accused’s imprisonment. If the Federal Court follows our legal opinion, we could apply for a new arrest warrant for the accused’s offences, so that the accused would then remain in custody beyond September 2025.

Mr Marquort said the defence team would oppose the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal.

Prosecutor Mr Wolters has said in the past that he believes Madeleine is dead and that Christian B was responsible for her death. The suspect denies any involvement.

The case against Christian B is purely circumstantial; he’s alleged to have confessed to a friend that he abducted Madeleine, he has convictions for sex crimes against children, he was living in the area at the time, his mobile phone was close by when the young girl vanished and he re-registered one of his vehicles the next day.

The prosecutor won’t say what evidence he has to convince him Madeleine is dead, but he admitted he is still trying to find forensic evidence to link Christian B to the girl.

Christian B is acquitted of sex attacks not related to the Madeleine McCann case
Image:
Christian B coming to the end of his sentence for the rape of an elderly woman

Jim Gamble, former head of the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre, said he had expected the prosecutor to charge Christian B soon.

“He’s implied the whole way through that he has something more than the public are aware of,” he said.

“He’s made fairly definitive statements about whether Madeleine is alive or dead so you would expect their strategy to have been to charge him sooner rather than later.

“From what he’s said today I wonder if we’re witnessing the re-positioning of something to manage the disappointment that’ll come.”

Mr Wolters, who is based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, is investigating the case with the help of Portuguese police and detectives from Scotland Yard.

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Man arrested after death of woman and two-year-old girl found with serious injuries in Ashford, Surrey

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Man arrested after death of woman and two-year-old girl found with serious injuries in Ashford, Surrey

A man has been arrested after the death of a woman in her 20s and a two-year-old girl was found with serious injuries in Surrey.

The man, in his 30s, has been detained on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, Surrey Police said.

Officers went to a property in Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, at 1.15pm on Thursday following a report of concern for safety.

The woman and child were found at the address with serious injuries and despite treatment from paramedics, the woman died at the scene.

The child was taken to hospital.

Officers said the victim and the suspect were known to each other.

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A forensics officer at the scene at Imtech House on Woodthorpe Road in Ashford, Surrey, after a woman in her 20s died and a two-year-old girl was found with serious injuries. A man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Picture date: Friday January 17, 2025.
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Pic: PA

An investigation, led by the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, is under way and inquiries remain ongoing, police said.

Senior Investigating Officer DCI Kimball Edey said specialist officers “are working around the clock to gather as much information as possible,” and that the force’s “thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims at this unbelievably difficult time”.

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