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Phone hacking: Paul Gascoigne wins damages from Mirror Group | Phone hacking: Paul Gascoigne wins damages from Mirror Group |
(35 minutes later) | |
Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has won £188,250 in phone-hacking damages from Mirror Group Newspapers. | Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has won £188,250 in phone-hacking damages from Mirror Group Newspapers. |
The payout was one of eight announced at London's High Court and followed a three-week hearing to determine the extent of wrongdoing and damages. | |
Celebrities awarded payments include actress Sadie Frost, who won £260,000, and soap stars Shane Richie, Lucy Benjamin and Shobna Gulati. | Celebrities awarded payments include actress Sadie Frost, who won £260,000, and soap stars Shane Richie, Lucy Benjamin and Shobna Gulati. |
Mirror Group said it was considering whether to seek permission to appeal. | |
Mr Richie, who plays Alfie Moon in EastEnders, was awarded £155,000 in damages. | Mr Richie, who plays Alfie Moon in EastEnders, was awarded £155,000 in damages. |
Ms Benjamin - now known by her married name of Lucy Taggart - played Lucy Fowler in EastEnders and will receive £157,250. | |
Mr Justice Mann also awarded Ms Gulati, Coronation Street's Sunita Alahan, £117,500, and £85,000 to BBC creative director Alan Yentob. | |
TV producer Robert Ashworth, who was married to Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw, received £201,250, while flight attendant Lauren Alcorn, who had a relationship with footballer Rio Ferdinand, was awarded £72,500. | TV producer Robert Ashworth, who was married to Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw, received £201,250, while flight attendant Lauren Alcorn, who had a relationship with footballer Rio Ferdinand, was awarded £72,500. |
The payouts total £1.2 million. | The payouts total £1.2 million. |
Phone hacking was carried out by "teams of journalists" across three Mirror Group publications - the Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the People - the hearing was told. | Phone hacking was carried out by "teams of journalists" across three Mirror Group publications - the Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the People - the hearing was told. |
In February, Trinity Mirror - the owner of the three titles - published a "sincere and unreserved" apology for the voicemail interception, saying it "was unlawful and should never have happened". | In February, Trinity Mirror - the owner of the three titles - published a "sincere and unreserved" apology for the voicemail interception, saying it "was unlawful and should never have happened". |
Following the ruling, solicitors for Ms Frost said she was "relieved" and "thrilled" with the outcome. | Following the ruling, solicitors for Ms Frost said she was "relieved" and "thrilled" with the outcome. |
The impact of hacking had been "sustained and intrusive", her solicitors said in a statement, adding that the actress "reluctantly" accepts she may never know the full extent of the unlawful activities by Mirror Group journalists. | The impact of hacking had been "sustained and intrusive", her solicitors said in a statement, adding that the actress "reluctantly" accepts she may never know the full extent of the unlawful activities by Mirror Group journalists. |
Ms Frost had told the hearing that hacking made her life a "living hell" and that, as stories about her continued to appear in national newspapers, she ended up not trusting her own mother. | Ms Frost had told the hearing that hacking made her life a "living hell" and that, as stories about her continued to appear in national newspapers, she ended up not trusting her own mother. |
James Heath, from Ms Frost's solicitors Atkins Thomson, said payments were "greater than any other publicly available award of damages in a privacy case". | |
Phone hacking by Mirror Group journalists was "widespread, institutionalised and long standing", resulting in "gross intrusion" into the lives of the victims, he said. | |
'Scared to speak' | |
Mr Gascoigne was described by his lawyer as being "delighted and relieved" with the result. | |
The former footballer had told the hearing that hacking left him "scared to speak to anybody" on the phone. He said the ordeal had "ruined his life". | |
He had complained about 18 articles published by Mirror Newspapers - all of which were accepted to have been the product of illegal activity. | He had complained about 18 articles published by Mirror Newspapers - all of which were accepted to have been the product of illegal activity. |
The ex-international footballer said his own family had not believed his phone was being hacked, while his therapist told him he was "paranoid" and "going through a mental disorder". |