EXCLUSIVE: John Prescott on News Of The World phone hacking payout
LORD Prescott has been awarded £40,000 in damages after journalists at the News Of The World hacked into his telephone messages.
The former Hull East MP and deputy prime minister has been awarded the damages after Newsgroup Newspapers Limited – the publisher of the News Of The World – admitted private telephone messages between him and his staff had been intercepted.
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John Prescott has spoken exclusively to the Mail after today's court decision.
High Court papers seen by the Mail reveal that Lord Prescott’s legal team have now accepted the £40,000 payout and his legal fees after Newsgroup Newspapers admitted “invasion of privacy and breach of confidence” by intercepting the messages.
Lord Prescott’s legal team had argued that Metropolitan Police documents “strongly suggested” that Newsgroup Newspapers and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire had listened to “numerous private telephone messages left by, for or concerning” the high-profile politician.
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The High Court was told journalists working for Newsgroup Newspapers commissioned the private investigator to intercept the messages.
It is thought a series of articles that appeared in the News Of The World in 2005 and 2006 involving his personal life and about government meetings were based on the phone hacking.
In a statement to the court, Lord Prescott’s legal team said: “It has become clear that information obtained by the defendants in this way had then be used in articles published in the News Of The World.”
As well as paying Lord Prescott damages and legal costs, Newsgroup Newspapers has agreed to hand information to Lord Prescott that will show how many messages had been hacked and over what period to “ascertain the extend of the wrongdoing”.
Last year, Lord Prescott spearheaded calls for action against the News Of The World over the phone hacking scandal.
He had been shown documents by Metropolitan Police detectives that made him believe his phone had been hacked.
Appearing yesterday in the House Of Lords, Lord Prescott attacked the Government’s planned reforms of “no win, no fee” legal cases, claiming without them, he would never have won his case over the hacking scandal.
There have so far been 17 arrests in connection with the police’s ongoing investigation into hacking.
The Labour peer said: “The appalling levels of these arrests and prosecutions reflect badly on the British press and was only possible because of the use of no-win, no-cost situations by those who were complainants – including myself.
“Why is this Government, in a debate next week on legal aid, quite prepared to meet the unanimous demands of the press that we reduce their costs in such situations and yet increase the cost of the individual complainants and actually reduce their rights to a no win, no cost situation?”
Speaking exclusively to the Hull Daily Mail today, Lord Prescott said: “Today’s court decision at long last brings clarity, apology and compensation for the years of hacking into my telephone messages by Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers.
“It follows years of aggressive denials and a cavalier approach to private information and the law. These denials were supported by the Press Complaints Commission and the inaction of senior officers of the Metropolitan Police.
“However I do not wish to make further comment on this whole matter until the result of my judicial review against the Metropolitan Police has been concluded.”
Comments
by wozza1968
Tuesday, January 24 2012, 5:50PM
“why do we all have to pay for all our MPs way of lifes its morally wrong , as these people make the laws that we have to abide by how come they have another set of rules for themselves ,,,as for this payment none of our MPs should not get a pennie”
by pippa1951
Sunday, January 22 2012, 5:18PM
“stevekb
A couple of times over the years, I've contacted HDM
I thought a story on a local rogue tradesman would've been ideal as a warning to readers, if nothing else. No way !
The reporter was surprised when I accused them of sitting on the fence
So, I went ahead and posted his name on here
My post too was deleted
Anyway, I've since learned the bloke went on to rob another day”
by stevekb
Sunday, January 22 2012, 4:29PM
“well again the HDM in their democratic ways,deleted my posting,and i have been robbed of around £150,000 and the HDM didnt want to know about it.
Very good HDM,just stick with the "None Stories" eh.”
by Imagine_that
Friday, January 20 2012, 8:32PM
“I am not one of his fans, but how would anyone know if he donates the money to charity unless he broadcasts the fact? And if he does, no doubt he will be slated for 'showing off'.”
by killercbrn
Friday, January 20 2012, 3:57PM
“What has Baron Greenback ever actually done for the City of Hull apart from being an embarrassment, when ever the media carry out polls of the worst places to live and normally put Hull near the top, its because of people like Prescott, with all the power and resources he has had at his disposal, he did nothing for this region, why didnt he get rid of the bridge tolls when he was transport minister? We have some of the worst roads in the country, very poor rail connections, but we do have some nice cycle paths. Its taken a ConDem Govt to start doing something about it.
"I've always felt very proud of Wales and being Welsh. People are a bit surprised when I say I'm Welsh. I was born in Wales, went to school in Wales and my mother was Welsh. I'm Welsh. It's my place of birth, my country." Well bog off back there!”
by Mickey_Luv
Friday, January 20 2012, 2:36PM
“@faithful13
.."What have you as individual ordinary people have in common with the millionaire Press Barons of this World?"..
About as much in common with millionaire, pretentious, failed career politicians of this world”
by faithful13
Friday, January 20 2012, 11:23AM
“Can't help thinking that almost all of the Posters on here appear to believe it wrong that someone should be awarded damages as a result of being subject to criminal activity - which is what Phone-Hacking is. I'll bet you are all in total sympathy with, for example. Jude Law, who has been awarded a significantly higher sum for his treatment by News International. It has been their insatiable pursuit of stories about prominent people in order to flog their Newspapers which has led to this actions. Anyone caught transgressing ANY law is subject to sanctions, financial or custodially. News International are no different. So why are so many bitter and ignorant morons on here aiming their comments at a man who has been wronged? Oh, I realise, of course, you are probably all Sun or (formerly) News of the World readers. If Mr Prescott had been a MP for anywhere but Hull, none of you would have uttered a peep.
People, think on. Why do you all think and believe what the Press would have you so do? What have you as individual ordinary people have in common with the millionaire Press Barons of this World?”
by David_Nivea
Friday, January 20 2012, 10:56AM
“Hahahaha.”
by ull70
Friday, January 20 2012, 8:35AM
“i am not mr presscotts biggest fan but i do know from personal experience he is very very generous when it comes to charities & worthy causes the only thing he doesnt do is shout from the roof tops that hes given money away!!! if he did hes get slated for that too....”
by harryoffdock2
Friday, January 20 2012, 12:00AM
“That should keep him in bog seats for a while.”