Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson hailed Prince Harry's 'bravery and astonishing courage' after the Duke of Sussex settled his legal action against The Sun. Harry and Lord Watson brought legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators between 1996-2011. NGN offered Harry and "full and unequivocal apology" in court and will pay "substantial damages". Report by Faragt. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00Like every other person persecuted by newsgroup newspapers, I wish they had
00:05left my family alone. But what happened, happened. Today I'm glad they have
00:11finally accepted responsibility. I'm glad they've apologised and acknowledged the
00:16direct harm caused by years of unlawful surveillance by their journalists and
00:21their army of private investigators. Not just to my family, but to Prince Harry
00:27and his. As the formidable Mr. Sherborne and my diligent solicitor Ellen
00:33Gallagher and her impressive team of lawyers at Hamlin's have shown, in over
00:391,300 civil cases, these unlawful practices were not isolated incidents.
00:45They were industrial in scale and central to the modus operandi of
00:51newsgroup newspapers as a whole. I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid
00:58jungle have no predators. I was wrong. They have Prince Harry. His bravery and
01:05astonishing courage have brought accountability to a part of the media
01:10world that thought it was untouchable. I am sure I speak on behalf of the
01:15thousands of victims when I say we are grateful to him for his unwavering
01:21support and his determination under extraordinary pressure. If Rupert
01:28Murdoch had any decency, he should follow this corporate admission of guilt with a
01:34personal apology to Prince Harry, to his father our King and to the countless
01:41others who suffered the same unlawful behaviour at the hands of his media
01:46empire. Newsgroup newspapers owes so many such apologies. Thousands of
01:53ordinary people just trying to live their lives have endured the same
01:58unlawful behaviour. Many were victims of heinous crimes, including victims of
02:04terrorism, grieving families and people caught in personal tragedies. I'll never
02:11get over some of the stories I've heard in this case.