Sienna Miller accepts damages over phone-hacking
As Sienna Miller accepts damages of £100,000 following the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, her counsel says she was the subject of articles containing “intrusive and private information”.
Sienna Miller’s counsel, David Sherborne, told Mr Justice Vos that, in 2005 and 2006, she was the subject of numerous articles which contained “intrusive and private information”.
As well as the damages and her legal costs, Ms Miller was granted an injunction preventing any further unlawful accessing of her voicemail and publication of her private information.
The order also provided for disclosure of information about the extent of the activities, and expressly allows her to come back to court in the light of any new material.
Mr Sherborne said that Ms Miller did not know the source of the information and could not understand how it was possible for the News Of The World to obtain it.
She had considerable concerns about the security of her mobile phone, having experienced periods of hang-up calls and missing voicemail messages, and had changed her number three times in a bid to protect herself.
Sienna Miller’s counsel said she could not understand how it was possible to obtain private information about her.
“The information which was being published was only known to trusted friends and family.
“The claimant did not know whether someone close to her was leaking information or whether her mobile telephone was somehow being hacked into.
“Both possibilities were extremely distressing for the claimant,” said counsel.
Mr Sherborne said that in October 2010, after disclosure of documents by the Metropolitan Police Service, Ms Miller issued proceedings for misuse of private information, breach of confidence and harassment.
In April this year, News Group Newspapers made an unconditional admission of liability.
News Group’s counsel offered “sincere apologies” to Ms Miller for the damage and distress caused.
He added: “This meant that News Group accepted that confidential and private information had been obtained by the unlawful access of the claimant’s voicemail messages, that confidential and private information had been published as a result, and that there had been an invasion of her privacy, breaches of confidence and a campaign of harassment for over 12 months.”
News Group’s counsel, Michael Silverleaf QC, offered its “sincere apologies” to Ms Miller for the damage and distress caused.
It acknowledged that the information should never have been obtained in the manner it was, the private information should never have been published and it had accepted liability.