Prince Harry’s legal team has been described as a “mob of shysters, spivs and useful idiots” by a senior journalist accused of making payments to police officers for information.
Stephen Wright, a former associate editor of the Daily Mail, also told Harry’s privacy trial that the prince destroyed the relationship between Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon and the newspaper that campaigned for justice for her son.
Wright denies paying a former police officer to obtain information from detectives investigating the racist murder of Lawrence’s son, Stephen, in 1993 or for details of Harry’s misbehaviour.
Harry, 41, Lawrence, 73, Sir Elton John, 78, and other celebrities claim they are victims of unlawful information gathering including hacking, landline tapping and “blagging”. Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, denies wrongdoing.
David Sherborne, representing the celebrities, questioned Wright about cash payments. The barrister suggested the money was paid to John Ross, a private investigator and former police officer the court has been told was once arrested for offering to pay a police officer but had not been prosecuted.
Wright denied the payments were made to Ross, saying: “I invite you to go outside this courtroom and make that allegation without legal privilege.” He added later: “If you weren’t a coward you would go outside and say that without legal privilege.”
Sherborne later suggested that records of cash payments of £1,000 and £500 in 2007 was money given to Ross to pay police officers for information.
Wright said the £1,000 was paid to Peter Rose, a former crime editor of the newspaper who was then working as a freelance journalist, for information about the Lawrence investigation.
Lawrence outside court this month
COREY RUDY/REUTERS
“He [Rose] and I knew he was dying and preferred to be paid in cash,” he added. “I beg you Mr Sherborne, not to smear him. He was a fine, fine journalist.”
Wright continued: “Your mob of shysters, spivs and useful idiots are trying to fit me up with these despicable allegations.
“You have set out with your mob to try to destroy me and my reputation. It is an utter disgrace.”
Mr Justice Nicklin intervened, telling the journalist: “I understand that you feel very strongly about this, but Mr Sherborne is here to do his job.”
Wright contrasted the record of his payments to the £4,000 cash provided by a member of Harry’s legal team to Christine Hart, a private investigator.
The court has been told that James Hanning, a former deputy editor of The Independent on Sunday, handed over the cash on behalf of Graham Johnson, a convicted phone hacker who is now part of the celebrities’ legal team.
Hart claims Johnson paid her £4,000 to look at her “remittances” for work for the media and she then agreed a deal for her assistance with Evan Harris, a former Liberal Democrat MP who is now also a researcher for the celebrities’ legal team, totalling £16,000.
The Daily Mail led the campaign over the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence including a front page headline “Murderers” published in 1997 naming suspects, including two who were later convicted.
Lawrence told the trial she received a message from Harry in January 2022 that led to her joining the privacy case.
Wright told the court: “Prince Harry rang Doreen Lawrence, a day which changed everything and my relationship with Baroness Lawrence.”
He said six weeks earlier Lawrence appeared on his podcast with other victims of “Scotland Yard corruption” including the widow of Leon Brittan, the former home secretary; Paul Gambaccini, the broadcaster; and Harvey Proctor, a former Tory MP.
David Sherborne in court with, from left, Sir Simon Hughes, Prince Harry, and Elizabeth and Damian Hurley
ELIZABETH COOK/PA
The journalist also denies wrongdoing in relation to an article published in April 2007 reporting that Harry fell into a gutter outside the Boujis nightclub in west London having spent the evening with Natalie Pinkham, who is now a sports broadcaster.
He claims he paid Rose £300 for information about concerns from Scotland Yard’s Royalty Protection Squad about Harry’s “penchant for drinking and nightclubs”.
The trial continues.