Editing Reach plc (section)

=== Phone hacking ===
In January 2011, former MP [[Paul Marsden]] announced that he was considering taking legal action against Trinity Mirror, over alleged [[phone hacking]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12271690 "Phone-hacking: Review to consider new claims"], ''BBC News'', 24 January 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2014.</ref> On 24 September 2014, Trinity Mirror admitted that some of its journalists had been involved in phone hacking.<ref>Gallivan, Rory and Zekaria, Simon (September 2014) [https://online.wsj.com/articles/trinity-mirror-admits-liability-over-phone-hacking-1411547673 "Trinity Mirror Admits Liability Over Phone Hacking"], ''Wall Street Journal'', 24 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014</ref><ref>Sweney, Mark (September 2014). [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/28/trinity-mirror-phone-hacking-claims-compensation "Trinity Mirror faces up to the financial fallout as phone-hacking claims mount"], ''The Guardian'', 28 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.</ref> It admitted liability and agreed to pay compensation to four people who had sued for the alleged hacking of voicemails (entertainer [[Shane Richie]], soap actresses [[Shobna Gulati]] and [[Lucy Benjamin]] and BBC creative director [[Alan Yentob]]). The four also received an apology. Trinity Mirror also announced that it had earlier settled six other phone hacking claims in relation to former England football manager [[Sven-Göran Eriksson]], footballer [[Garry Flitcroft]], actor [[Christopher Eccleston]], showbusiness agent Phil Dale, Richie's wife Christine Roche and Abbie Gibson, a former nanny of David and Victoria Beckham. As of September 2014, a further 19 claims were registered at the High Court and another 10 claimants had indicated they would bring proceedings against Trinity Mirror.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29339756 "Phone-hacking: Trinity Mirror admits liability"], BBC News online, 24 September 2014 (Retrieved 29 September 2014)</ref> Other reports claimed that the number of victims could be much higher, with Evan Harris, associate director of the pressure group [[Media Standards Trust#Hacked Off|Hacked Off]] describing the revelations as: "… just the tip of a very big iceberg".<ref>Cusick, James and Milmo, Cahal (September 2014). [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/trinity-mirror-could-face-hundreds-of-claims-from-phone-hacking-victims-9753909.html "Trinity Mirror 'could face hundreds of claims' from phone hacking victims"], ''The Independent'', 24 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.</ref> On 6 November 2014, [[Graham Johnson (author)|Graham Johnson]], pleaded guilty at [[Westminster Magistrates' Court]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29933698|title=Ex-Sunday Mirror reporter Graham Johnson admits phone hacking|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=6 November 2014 |website=BBC News | access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref>

On 13 February 2015, Trinity Mirror published a public apology to "all its victims of phone hacking" on page two of the ''[[Daily Mirror]]''.<ref name="The Guardian 13 February 2015">{{cite news | title= Daily Mirror prints apology to phone-hacking victims |url=  https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/13/daily-mirror-apology-phone-hacking-victims | last= Plunkett| first = John| date= 13 February 2015 | newspaper= The Guardian|location= London| access-date= 15 February 2015}}</ref> It also set aside funds to cover the cost of settling phone hacking compensation payments.<ref name="BBC News 13 February 2015">{{cite web | title= Phone-hacking: Trinity Mirror apologises to its victims |url=  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31450410 | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 13 February 2015 | website= BBC News | access-date= 15 February 2015}}</ref> The same apology was printed in the following editions of the ''[[Sunday People]]'' and ''[[Sunday Mirror]]''.<ref name="BBC News 13 February 2015"/>

A hearing at the High Court in London heard on 3 March 2015 that one Mirror group journalist had hacked the phones of some 100 celebrities every day and that 109 stories had been published about just seven claimants.<ref name="BBC News 3 March 2015">{{cite web | title=Phone hacking 'rife' at Mirror Group Newspapers |url=  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31712894| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 3 March 2015 | website= BBC News | access-date= 3 March 2015}}</ref> On 21 May 2015, damages totalling nearly £1.25m were awarded to eight people as the result of phone hacking by Mirror Group journalists, including actress [[Sadie Frost]] (£260,000) and ex-footballer [[Paul Gascoigne]] (£188,250). Other damages recipients included soap opera actors [[Shane Richie]] (£155,000), [[Shobna Gulati]] (£117,500) and [[Lucy Benjamin]] (real name Lucy Taggart,  £157,250), as well as BBC creative director [[Alan Yentob]] (£85,000), TV producer Robert Ashworth (former husband of [[Coronation Street]] actress [[Tracy Shaw]], £201,250) and flight attendant Lauren Alcorn (former girlfriend of footballer [[Rio Ferdinand]], £72,500).<ref name="BBC News 21 May 2105">{{cite web | title= Phone hacking: Celebrities win damages from Mirror Group |url=  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32825751| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 21 May 2015| website= BBC News | access-date= 21 May 2015 }}</ref> The Mirror Group said it would consider whether to seek permission to appeal against the size of the damages, but increased the money allocated to deal with phone hacking claims from £12 million to £28 million.<ref name="BBC News 21 May 2105"/>

On {{date|15 December 2023}}, [[Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex]] was awarded £140,600 by the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] in damages against [[Mirror Group Newspapers]] after 15 out of 33 sample articles in his claim against MGN were ruled as being the product of phone hacking or other unlawful information gathering.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Victoria |title=Prince Harry was victim of phone hacking by Mirror newspapers, judge rules |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/12/15/extensive-hacking-mirror-newspapers-prince-harry/ |website=The Telegraph |access-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215115026/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/12/15/extensive-hacking-mirror-newspapers-prince-harry/ |archive-date=15 December 2023 |date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Coughlan |first1=Sean |title=Harry wins 15 claims in phone-hacking case against Mirror publisher |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67332563 |website=BBC News |access-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215155455/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67332563 |archive-date=15 December 2023 |date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Siddique |first1=Haroon |title=Prince Harry v Mirror Group: key findings of the phone-hacking case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/15/prince-harry-v-mirror-group-key-findings-of-phone-hacking-case |website=The Guardian |access-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215172157/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/15/prince-harry-v-mirror-group-key-findings-of-phone-hacking-case |archive-date=15 December 2023 |date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>