The publisher of the Mirror newspaper has admitted there is "some evidence" of unlawful information gathering (UIG) in relation to a High Court challenge brought by Britain's Duke of Sussex that "warrants compensation".
In court documents released at the start of a trial in London, Mirror Group Newspapers said it "unreservedly apologises" for instances of unlawful information gathering, which the publisher said "will never be repeated".
The statements form part of the publisher's defence to claims brought by Prince Harry and other individuals over alleged unlawful information gathering at MGN titles.
Andrew Green KC, representing the publisher, said in the written arguments that it denied allegations of voicemail interception in the cases being examined during the trial. The barrister also said some of the challenges it faces have been brought beyond a legal time limit.
Mr Green said "there is some evidence of the instruction of third parties to engage in other types of UIG in respect of each of the claimants" except for the case of actor Michael Turner whose claim is "entirely denied".
He added: "MGN unreservedly apologises for all such instances of UIG, and assures the claimants that such conduct will never be repeated. This apology is not made with the tactical objective of reducing damages, MGN accepts that an apology at this stage will not have that effect, but is made because such conduct should never have occurred."
The trial is set to see Prince Harry enter the witness box.
He is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing claims against MGN over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.
Other celebrities involved include singer Cheryl, the estate of the late singer George Michael, ex-footballer and television presenter Ian Wright and actor Ricky Tomlinson.
Out of the wider pool of people bringing claims, "representative" claimants were selected as "test cases" to go to trial, including Prince Harry.
The other claimants selected are former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner.
MGN is contesting the claims, arguing that some have been brought too late.
Last month, lawyers for the group of claimants said that all the witnesses on their side would be giving evidence in person.
This means the duke, who is expected to give evidence in June, will make a second visit to the High Court in London this year.
The trial comes after Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in March to attend a preliminary hearing in his separate claim against Associated Newspapers Limited - the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
MGN - publisher of titles including The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People - has previously settled a number of claims against it in relation to unlawful information gathering.
An earlier trial of representative claims, including those brought by former Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne and actress Sadie Frost, was heard in 2015 and is the only other trial that has taken place during the long-running litigation.
Reporting PA
