Mail titles kept using investigator after his conviction, court hears

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Michael Savage Media editorFebruary 11, 2026 at 06:33 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Private investigator Steve Whittamore, convicted in 2005 for illegally obtaining information, testified in court that the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday continued to be his "best customers" until 2007. Whittamore stated he provided the publications' parent company, Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), with criminal records, addresses linked to phone numbers, and illegally obtained personal data through "blagging" from 1998. He claimed journalists and editors were aware his methods were illegal. The testimony is part of a lawsuit brought by seven claimants, including Prince Harry, who accuse ANL of unlawful information gathering. ANL acknowledges past use of inquiry agents, including Whittamore, and instances of "blagging," but denies all the current claims.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Leveson Inquiry 40% Paul Dacre 40% Sadie Frost ×250% Prince Harry 60% Mail on Sunday ×270% Daily Mail ×480% Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) ×485% Steve Whittamore ×690%

Keywords

illegal information gathering 90% daily mail 80% private investigator 80% steve whittamore 80% blagging 70% court case 60% phone hacking 60% unlawful information 60% associated newspapers ltd 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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illegal information gathering daily mail private investigator steve whittamore blagging court case phone hacking unlawful information associated newspapers ltd

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