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Former Daily Mail editor tells trial he stopped use of private investigators

Paul Dacre stated in the High Court that he ceased using unlawful methods of gathering news.

Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail, testified in the High Court that he took immediate action to halt any unlawful newsgathering practices at the newspaper upon discovering them.

Paul Dacre wearing a formal black coat, white shirt and turquoise tie. He is carrying a wad of white documents under his left arm. he is outdoors. Behind him is black railing and a brick wall of a building

The court case, which involves seven claimants, including Prince Harry and Sir Elton John, alleges that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, committed serious breaches of privacy.

During his testimony on Wednesday, Dacre acknowledged the possibility that private investigators hired by the newspaper may have employed unlawful methods to obtain information.

Dacre was questioned about his response to an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office into the activities of private investigator Steve Whittamore, who pleaded guilty to data protection breaches in 2005.

The investigation revealed that Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, had made more extensive use of Whittamore's services than any other newspaper group.

Dacre currently serves as the editor-in-chief of DMG Media Ltd, the parent company of ANL.

On Tuesday, Dacre denied allegations of unlawful newsgathering by journalists, describing them as "preposterous" and stating that he "utterly refutes" the claims.

Dacre had previously defended the actions of Associated Newspapers during the Leveson Inquiry into press standards 14 years ago, where he was questioned about the newspaper's use of private investigators to gather information.

On Wednesday, Dacre denied lying under oath during the 2012 inquiry when questioned by the claimants' barrister, David Sherborne, about stories allegedly obtained through phone hacking.

The court was presented with emails between freelance journalist Greg Miskiw and former Mail on Sunday associate editor Chris Anderson from 2006, which included transcripts of voicemails between actor Sadie Frost and her nanny.

Miskiw, who is now deceased, had offered a story about a dispute between Frost and her nanny, and the emails suggested that the voicemails had been obtained by phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire, a close associate of Miskiw.

Although the story was not published by the Mail on Sunday, Miskiw received a payment of £500 for the story.

Sherborne argued that this was evidence of phone hacking, but Dacre countered that it was merely an example of Miskiw trying to secure work from the newspaper.

Dacre suggested that the payment may have been a "kill fee" to prevent the story from being published in another newspaper, and noted that he was not editor of the Mail on Sunday at the time.

As editor of the Daily Mail, Dacre stated that he was not aware of the details surrounding the payment, but suggested that it may have been a legitimate payment to prevent the story from being published elsewhere.

At the time, the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail were separate operations, although both were published by Associated Newspapers.

Dacre testified that the realization that unlawful activities may have been occurring at the newspaper "came as a surprise" to him, and he subsequently asked an executive to investigate the matter.

Although it was challenging to fully investigate the extent of Whittamore's involvement with Daily Mail journalists, Dacre claimed that he took steps to "put a stop" to the practice.

In 2007, Dacre banned the use of "inquiry agents" (private investigators) by his journalists.

Dacre stated that his focus was on educating his journalists and the industry about the importance of adhering to the Data Protection Act.

He acknowledged that his journalists had used private investigators to obtain ex-directory phone numbers of individuals they were writing about, but argued that this was a relatively minor infraction.

Dacre explained that using private investigators to obtain phone numbers was a common practice, and that it may have been justified in certain cases where there was a public interest.

The court heard that using private investigators allowed journalists to obtain phone numbers without having to manually search through phone books.

Dacre denied allegations that an experienced crime reporter on the Daily Mail, Stephen Wright, had paid private investigators for stories related to the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation.

The court was presented with handwritten payment requests from Wright totaling £1,500 for "special contacts" related to one story about the case.

Dacre defended Wright's work, stating that he had done "brilliant" work that helped bring two of the Lawrence killers to justice.

Sherborne asked Dacre if the use of private investigators had actually ceased following his ban in April 2007.

In a sometimes tense exchange, Sherborne suggested that several journalists had continued to pay private investigators and freelance journalists for unlawful information despite the ban.

One example cited by Sherborne involved royal correspondent Rebecca English receiving the precise aircraft seat number of Chelsy Davy, the then-girlfriend of Prince Harry.

Dacre claimed that he was "totally unaware" of this incident and noted that airlines had previously been willing to provide such information to journalists.

Dacre argued that paying freelance reporters for information was a common practice and not necessarily unlawful.

He explained that newspapers often pay for stories, but noted that this should not involve paying public officials for information.

Dacre stated that news gathering requires securing information, and as long as this is done lawfully, it is acceptable.

The claimants' barrister, David Sherborne, has faced criticism from the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, for asking questions that exceeded the scope of the case.

On Tuesday, Sherborne was accused of attempting to turn the trial into a public inquiry, and on Wednesday, he was given a time limit for cross-examining Dacre, who left the witness box shortly after 15:00 GMT.

The trial is expected to conclude in March, with a written judgment to be issued at a later date.

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Prince Andrew’s BBC Interview Contrasted with New Insights from Epstein Emails

The Epstein files’ recent release has led to renewed examination of statements made by Prince Andrew in 2019.

The recent release of the Epstein files has prompted a re-examination of statements made by Prince Andrew during a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, which may now be subject to renewed scrutiny.

A review of the interview by BBC journalists Sean Coughlan and Sarah Campbell has been conducted, comparing Prince Andrew's responses with emails allegedly exchanged by the prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

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Serie A to air on BBC with live coverage of Scottish matches

A new multi-game rights deal has enabled the BBC to broadcast live coverage of matches featuring several Scotland internationals, including Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams, Lennon Miller, Kieron Bowie, and Josh Doig, starting this Sunday.

A number of Scottish players, including Che Adams, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lennon Miller, and Lewis Ferguson, are currently competing in Italy's top division, Serie A.

The upcoming Serie A match between Torino and Bologna will be a notable fixture, featuring several Scottish players.

The match is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 15 February, with a kick-off time of 17:00 GMT, at a venue that will be announced.

Fans can catch the live coverage of the match on BBC Alba, starting from 16:50.

A growing list of Scottish players, including Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams, Lennon Miller, Josh Doig, and Kieron Bowie, are making a name for themselves in Serie A.

With a record number of Scots playing in Italy's top flight, the BBC is now providing live coverage of their matches, allowing fans to follow their favorite players.

As part of a new package, the BBC will broadcast eight live Serie A matches, showcasing the talents of Scottish players as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup.

The first match to be broadcast on BBC Alba will be the encounter between Torino, featuring striker Che Adams, and Bologna, featuring midfielder Lewis Ferguson, on Sunday, with a 17:00 GMT kick-off.

Bologna will be looking to bounce back from five consecutive domestic defeats, despite recent impressive results in the Europa League and against Celtic.

During their recent run, Bologna drew 2-2 with Celtic and secured a 3-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.

Torino, on the other hand, has only managed one win in their last five outings but will be seeking to build on their recent 2-2 draw against Fiorentina.

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Future BBC Alba broadcasts will feature matches involving Napoli's Scottish duo, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour, who is nearing a return from injury, as well as Lennon Miller's Udinese, Josh Doig's Sassuolo, and Kieron Bowie's Hellas Verona.

The number of Scottish players in Serie A has reached a record high, with the likes of Liam Henderson, who has played for several Italian clubs, now competing in Serie B.

Further details of the Serie A matches to be broadcast on BBC Alba will be announced in the coming weeks.

Margaret Cameron, director of content at BBC Alba, expressed her excitement about the opportunity for Scottish fans to watch their favorite players in action, free-to-air, ahead of the World Cup.

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Che Adams, who was born in Leicester, has established himself as a key player for Scotland, earning 45 caps and scoring 11 goals since switching allegiances in 2021.

This season, Adams has scored six goals in 26 appearances for Torino, who currently sit 13th in the Serie A table.

Kieron Bowie, who began his career with Raith Rovers, has risen to prominence with Hibernian, scoring nine goals in 30 appearances before joining Hellas Verona in January.

Bowie made his debut for Verona in a 0-0 draw against Pisa, earning his first start for the club.

Josh Doig, who started his career with Hibernian, has become a regular player in Serie A, first with Verona and now with Sassuolo, earning one cap for Scotland.

Doig has made 24 appearances, including 20 starts, for Sassuolo this season.

Lewis Ferguson, who began his career with Hamilton Academical, has become a key player for Bologna, earning 21 caps for Scotland and leading his team to a Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan.

Ferguson has made 29 appearances, including 21 starts, for Bologna this season, helping the team to eighth place in the table.

Billy Gilmour, who started his career with Rangers, has played for several clubs, including Chelsea and Norwich City, before joining Napoli in 2024, where he won his first league title.

Gilmour has been limited to 12 appearances, including six starts, this season due to injury, but is nearing a return to action.

Scott McTominay, who came through Manchester United's youth ranks, has become a key player for Napoli, earning 67 caps for Scotland and scoring 14 goals, including a notable overhead kick against Denmark.

McTominay has made 34 appearances for Napoli this season, scoring 10 goals and helping the team to a strong position in the table.

Lennon Miller, who began his career with Motherwell, has made a promising start to his career, earning four caps for Scotland and joining Udinese in August.

Miller has made 14 appearances, including six starts, for Udinese this season.

Fans can stay up-to-date with their favorite clubs through BBC Sport.

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Despite a valiant comeback, Team GB ultimately fell short as Italy held their composure to secure the win in the final end.

A dismal start to the match proved costly for Team GB's men, as they suffered their first defeat of the Winter Olympics at the hands of host nation Italy, despite a spirited fightback in the packed Cortina Curling Stadium.

Following victories in their first two matches, including a win over the Swedish rink that beat them in the gold-medal match four years ago, Team GB entered their second high-profile encounter in as many days in a confident position.

However, a disastrous opening end, in which Italy stole four points, left Team GB trailing and facing an uphill battle in front of a boisterous home crowd.

The British team, currently ranked number one in the world, gradually regained their footing and managed to level the score by the ninth end.

Ultimately, Italy maintained their composure in the final end to emerge victorious, winning 9-7 and adding Team GB to their list of scalps, which already included the Swedes.

"We had to dig deep and play some solid curling, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get us over the line," Team GB lead Hammy McMillan said in an interview with BBC Sport.

With seven wins from nine round-robin matches guaranteeing a spot in the semi-finals, Team GB remains in a strong position, although fewer wins may still be sufficient to advance.

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The looks of shock on the faces of Team GB's curlers told the story of a disastrous opening end.

With a stone in play, Mouat attempted a risky shot in an effort to claim two points, but it backfired, resulting in none of Team GB's stones in the house and four Italian stones in position.

However, the Scottish quartet, ranked number one in the world, quickly regained their composure and got back to their game.

The teams exchanged singles before a impressive final throw by Mouat, aided by a measurement to determine which stone was closest to the button, allowed Team GB to claim two points and narrow the gap to 5-3.

Another excellent team effort, which included a well-judged throw by Mouat, a solid sweep by Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, and Grant Hardie's strategic expertise, forced Italy to concede a point in the fourth end, reducing the deficit to a single point at the break.

Italy blanked the sixth end and added two points in the seventh to rebuild their lead, but Team GB fought back with two points of their own, remarkably levelling the score with one end remaining after a steal.

The match came down to the final end, but Italy held their nerve to secure the win, prompting a deafening roar from the crowd.

"It's an incredible experience, and we need to get used to it," McMillan added, describing the electric atmosphere as "surreal" and "cool," more akin to a football match than a typical curling crowd.