PA coverage of today's proceedings:
SENIOR DAILY MAIL REPORTER DENIES PHONE HACKING IN HARRY CAMPFIRE STORY
about:blank Jess Glass
By Jess Glass, Press Association Law Editor
677 words
17 March 2026
15:33
Press Association National Newswire
PRESSA
English
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The Daily Mail's chief reporter described an allegation that he used phone hacking in a story about the Duke of Sussex as "absolute bollocks" at the High Court.
Sam Greenhill, who joined the paper in 2003, gave evidence in the trial of claims of unlawful information gathering brought by a group of household names against about:blank Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), which publishes the Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday.
The publisher strongly denies the claims and is defending the case brought by Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and others.
On Tuesday, barrister David Sherborne, for the group of high-profile figures, asked Mr Greenhill about an article, headlined "How Harry fell in love", which is one of 14 stories at the centre of the duke's claim.
The story, which was published in December 2004 and written by now-royal editor Rebecca English, reported that Harry had shared details of his relationship with Chelsy Davy around a campfire in Botswana.
The court in London was told that the reporter was asked to follow up on a tip the Daily Mail newsdesk had received, and that he spoke to a man on the phone who had been at the same place as Harry in Botswana.
Mr Sherborne suggested that the call "did not take place at all" and later said that Mr Greenhill had used voicemail interception.
The journalist said this was "absolute bollocks".
In his written evidence, Mr Greenhill said the man who had given the tip did not know Harry, but "just happened to be in the same place and recognised about:blank Prince Harry".
He continued: "As far as I can remember, he said that a group of them had been sitting around the campfire, and one of the people in the group was about:blank Prince Harry.
"He said that about:blank Prince Harry was talking about this amazing girl he had met. As I recall, he did not give me the name of the girl."
Mr Greenhill also said he did not remember the exact words the man had said as it was over 20 years ago, but that the quotes in the article "are consistent with what I remember of the conversation".
Cross-examining the journalist, Mr Sherborne said: "You've worked back from the quotations in the article and said they are consistent with what you remember."
Mr Greenhill replied: "No, I did not know about the article until these proceedings."
The journalist later told the court that he would have done "due diligence" about the tip, adding: "I would have taken his name and would have done some checks to make sure he was who he said he was. I can't remember, but it was 22 years ago."
Mr Sherborne later suggested that Mr Greenhill's account about the "so-called" source was "completely false".
"What I told you was the truth," the journalist replied.
During her evidence, Ms English said she had been passed the story by Mr Greenhill, adding that she thought he had done so "because he knew that I was new to my job as a royal reporter and thought it might be helpful to me".
Giving evidence last month, the duke said that those at the campfire with him would not have shared the information with journalists.
He told the court there "would be a lot more out there" if people whom he described as some of his "closest friends" had decided to speak to the press.
Antony White KC, for ANL, suggested to Harry that comments from the duke about him talking about being in love with Ms Davy while at the campfire could only have become known to Mail journalists if someone had told them.
Harry said the information was more likely picked up when he "talked about it on a voicemail" or other communication.
The trial before Mr Justice Nicklin is due to conclude on March 31, with a written judgment expected at a later date.
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