PA's report from today (in case it doesn't get picked up by the press):
A former Mail on Sunday news editor has described a disputed statement from a private investigator as "a litany of lies" at the High Court.
Paul Henderson, who worked in various roles at the paper and the Daily Mail between 1989 and 2005, gave evidence in the trial of claims brought by a group of household names, including the Duke of Sussex, against the publisher of the titles, about:blank Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
ANL has strongly denied wrongdoing and is defending the claims brought by the group which also includes Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
Mr Henderson, who gave evidence for a second day on Friday, is said to have been involved in two of the articles in the claim that were allegedly the result of unlawful information-gathering.
Cross-examining the journalist, David Sherborne, for the group, suggested Mr Henderson had instructed private investigator Gavin Burrows to carry out "unlawful activities", including landline tapping and voicemail interception.
Mr Henderson said: "Absolutely incorrect.
"I would never ask anybody to do anything like that and nothing like that was offered to me in my 50-year career in newspapers."
The court in London previously heard that Mr Burrows is said to have given a statement in August 2021 where he claimed to have targeted "hundreds, possibly thousands of people" through voicemail hacking, landline tapping and accessing financial and medical information.
However, the court has also heard that in a later statement given to ANL, Mr Burrows said the contents of the first statement were "substantially untrue".
At the start of the trial, Mr Sherborne said the earlier statements by Mr Burrows were "lengthy, detailed and clearly have the ring of truth", but added that the private investigator had since "performed the most extraordinary volte face".
Antony White KC, for ANL, said in written submissions: "The claimants' case as to Mr Burrows is now based entirely on the content of hearsay statements which are disavowed as false by their alleged maker."
Discussing Mr Burrows during his evidence on Friday, Mr Henderson told the court: "I find myself in this bizarre situation where we are using Burrows' first statement which is a litany of lies and it feels surreal to me."
He later said: "I have never heard as many lies in one session as I have today."
In his written evidence, Mr Henderson said he did not ask Mr Burrows to hack or tap the phones of Harry's friends or former girlfriend.
He said: "I did not commission Mr Burrows to obtain itemised phone bills, hack or tap the phones of Prince Harry's friends, place a hardwire tap on or intercept the voicemails of Guy Pelly's phone, gather information unlawfully about Chelsy Davy or carry out any blags."
The trial before Mr Justice Nicklin is due to conclude in March with a written judgment expected at a later date.
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