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Warne among celebs to settle Murdoch phone hacking claims

Shane Warne is among a number of celebrities and high-profile figures who have settled phone hacking claims against the publisher of the News Of The World, Britain’s High Court has heard.

Dec 09, 2021, updated Dec 09, 2021
Shame Warne is one of a number of celebrities to settle court action against Rupert Murdoch's newspapers over alleged phone hacking. (File image)

Shame Warne is one of a number of celebrities to settle court action against Rupert Murdoch's newspapers over alleged phone hacking. (File image)

Statements were read before Mr Justice Fancourt on behalf of 15 celebrities and other figures, including actor Sean Bean, Texas lead singer Sharleen Spiteri and former Australian cricketer and commentator Warne.

News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of the now-defunct newspaper, has agreed to pay “substantial damages” to each of the claimants and also pay their legal costs.

The publisher, through its legal team, made public apologies to each of the claimants for the actions of the News Of The World, but did not admit any liability in relation to allegations of phone hacking at one of its other newspapers, The Sun.

The group who have settled cases also includes actresses Julia and Nadia Sawalha and Michelle Collins, ex-television presenter Dani Behr, singer Dane Bowers, and former Coronation Street actors Richard Fleeshman and Quintin Lawson – also known as Charlie Lawson – who played Jim McDonald in the popular soap opera.

The court also heard statements on behalf of agent Jane Epstein, Anne Diamond’s husband Michael Hollingsworth, former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas, former journalist Louise Port and Natalie Cecil, the ex-wife of racehorse trainer Henry Cecil.

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David Sherborne, representing Shane Warne, said the former cricketer brought proceedings in May 2020 after the Metropolitan Police informed him details including his date of birth and mobile phone number had appeared in the notes of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

The barrister told the court: “The claimant identified a number of articles he claimed contained his private and confidential information which were published by the defendant’s newspapers between 1999 and 2011.

“During this time the claimant used his voicemail extensively – particularly whilst playing cricket – and he would regularly receive and leave voicemail messages.”

Sherborne said NGN had agreed to pay Warne substantial damages and his legal costs in relation to the “invasion of his privacy by individuals working for or on behalf of the News Of The World”, but makes no admission of liability in relation to The Sun.

Since the phone-hacking scandal led to the closure of the News Of The World in 2011, NGN has settled a number of damages claims concerning unlawful information-gathering – but the publisher has never admitted liability in relation to alleged phone hacking at The Sun.

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