TLT settles phone hacking claim against MGN Limited

National law firm TLT has successfully settled a claim for Kieron Dyer against British newspaper group MGN Limited (MGN) in relation to voicemail interception and the misuse of private information.

TLT has settled a claim for former premier league and England international footballer Kieron Dyer, reaching an out of court settlement with MGN, which includes the newspaper group paying damages and publicly apologising in a statement read out in the High Court at the Rolls Building today. The statement is available here. 

 The claim focused on articles published in MGN’s national newspapers, including the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People, and alleged unlawful activity, from 1998 to 2011. Mr Dyer asserted that his voicemail messages were intercepted by MGN’s journalists who were consequently privy to private and confidential voicemail messages from family and friends leading to the publication of articles in MGN’s newspapers. MGN has admitted to unlawfully intercepting Mr Dyer’s voicemails between March 2003 and December 2004, and using private investigators to unlawfully obtain private information on eight occasions in 2003 and 2005. However, MGN denied, or did not admit, that the articles were the product of unlawful information gathering activities.

Mr Dyer was significantly impacted by press intrusion at the time and remembers being followed and approached by journalists and photographers at his family home and on nights out. He feels that the articles published by MGN led to significant distress and have had a negative impact on his private life, including his relationship with the public, colleagues, friends and family, whilst also damaging his career. Mr Dyer feels this led to a lack of trust in those close to him. It also impacted his mental health, he described the experience as “horrible” and that he felt “ridiculed”.

The settlement comes after the trial of the Duke of Sussex and others against MGN in 2023 and a judgment dated 15 December 2023, where the Court found that unlawful information gathering was widespread at each three newspapers from 1996, and phone hacking became widespread and habitual at MGN from 1998. This activity continued to 2011, including during the Leveson Inquiry.

Commercial dispute resolution partner Mark Elder and legal director Rebekah Finch led on this matter, securing the settlement for the claimant, which included a payment of damages, the public apology read out in Court today, an undertaking not to access or attempt to access voicemails left for or by him or otherwise illegally obtain his private information, a private letter of apology and payment of his legal costs.

Commenting on the settlement, Rebekah Finch said: “This is a milestone achievement for Kieron who has been litigating for almost six years and waited a very long time for this outcome. It’s impossible to imagine the impact of MGN’s conduct. These actions have had life-long consequences on his wellbeing, and we’re pleased that we were able to reach this settlement for him in recognition of the harm caused.”

TLT continues to act for individuals involved in the phone hacking litigation and for any misuse of their private information against MGN and other tabloid newspapers, and to seek appropriate redress for any clients impacted.