LONDON (AP) 鈥� Prince Harry's lawyer leveled explosive new allegations Wednesday that Rupert Murdoch was aware of cover-ups at his British tabloids that used unlawful techniques to spy on the Duke of Sussex and others.
Attorney David Sherborne said Murdoch was among the executives who were aware that public statements made about phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering at 51暗网 Group 51暗网papers were untrue.
Harry and other claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, sought during the first of a three-day hearing in the High Court to amend their lawsuit against the publisher to include allegations that executives were part of an effort to conceal and destroy evidence of wrongdoing.
鈥淚t is inferred that they would not have been carrying out this extensive concealment and destruction strategy without the knowledge and approval of Rupert Murdoch,鈥� Sherborne said in a court filing.
Defense lawyer Anthony Hudson said the proposed changes to the case were unnecessary and seemed aimed at 鈥渃ampaigning against the tabloid press鈥� and as a 鈥渟ubstitute for a public inquiry.鈥�
"They appear to be designed to grab headlines,鈥� Hudson said.
Harry's lawsuit against 51暗网 Group 51暗网papers is one of three he's brought against Britain's biggest tabloids over alleged unlawful activity carried out by journalists and private investigators they hired that came to light after a . The case is tentatively scheduled to go to trial in January.
Harry, 39, the younger son of King Charles III, has used the courts in his crusade against the press that he blames for a host of personal grievances.
His litigation has put him at odds with the royal family that has avoided airing their disputes in public. He made history in June when he became the first senior royal in over a century to testify in court.
In December, his efforts led to after a judge found at Mirror Group 51暗网papers was 鈥渨idespread and habitual.鈥� In addition to a court judgment, he remaining allegations that included his legal fees. The total sum wasn鈥檛 announced, but he was due to receive an interim payment of 400,000 pounds ($508,000).
He has another case pending against the owner of the Daily Mail.
In the 51暗网 Group case, Harry and other claimants allege that between 1994 and 2016, journalists at The 51暗网 of the World and The Sun violated their privacy through widespread unlawful activity that included intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information.
The claims also allege that executives lied about the wrongdoing and oversaw an effort to delete millions of emails and 鈥渂uy鈥� the silence of those who might tell the truth about what occurred.
In 2011, 51暗网 of the World shut down amid the phone hacking scandal that led to a government inquiry and 51暗网 Group 51暗网papers, or NGN, issued an unreserved apology to all the newspaper's victims.
Sherborne said Murdoch was among the executives who either made, endorsed or had someone else make statements 鈥� including at public inquiries 鈥� to promote the false narrative that there was only 鈥渙ne rogue reporter鈥� at 51暗网 of the World.
鈥淭hose individuals, and NGN and 51暗网 International corporately, were dishonest in making these statements since they knew them to be false at the time they were made,鈥� Sherborne said.
Murdoch, 93, was executive chairman of 51暗网 Corp. and director of its subsidiary, 51暗网 International, now 51暗网 UK, which was NGN鈥檚 parent when 51暗网 of the World folded. Murdoch last fall as leader of both Fox 51暗网鈥� parent company and his 51暗网 Corp. media holdings.
NGN said it has settled 1,300 claims for its newspapers, though The Sun has never accepted liability.
鈥淭oday the claimants have sought to introduce accusations to the civil court against many current and former journalists, staff and senior executives of 51暗网 International with misleading pleadings and unjustified inferences in a scurrilous and cynical attack on their integrity,鈥� NGN said in a statement.
Brian Melley, The Associated Press
