Hugh Grant Supports Harris in Court as Former MP Accepts Substantial Damages from NGN
Former Liberal Democrat MP Dr. Evan Harris has formally settled his claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN) over unlawful information gathering, with actor Hugh Grant showing support throughout the proceedings. Dr. Harris received “substantial damages” from NGN, the publisher behind The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, to resolve his legal action.
At a brief High Court hearing on Thursday, Dr. Harris made a statement outside the court with Hugh Grant, who is a board member of the campaign group Hacked Off. Dr. Harris, a former director of the group, has long suspected that his friends and associates, including former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable and ex-Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, were targeted by NGN journalists using voicemail interception.
Dr. Harris’s barrister, David Sherborne, presented a statement revealing that Dr. Harris believes NGN documents show that private investigator activity was aimed at Hugh Grant just days before he gave evidence at the Leveson Inquiry in 2011. The case also uncovered evidence suggesting Sir Simon Hughes, a former Liberal Democrat MP, was “outed” by The Sun using an itemized phone bill from a gay chat line.
While NGN made no admission of liability in the settlement, Dr. Harris feels vindicated, believing the settlement amounts to an acknowledgment of wrongdoing on the part of NGN.
