Key whistleblower contradicts part of phone hacking case against Daily Mail

A key whistleblower, Jonathan Rees, has contradicted a central allegation in the phone hacking case against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail. Rees, a private investigator, had previously supported claims of unlawful news gathering by ANL. However, in a recent interview, Rees denied admitting to Doreen Lawrence that he bugged her after her son's murder, a claim Lawrence made in a witness statement. While Rees acknowledges being aware of surveillance against Lawrence and her family, he denies direct involvement in bugging her for the Daily Mail. This development occurs weeks before a high court trial involving seven claimants, including Prince Harry and Elton John, who accuse ANL of unlawful information gathering. ANL denies the allegations and is defending the legal action, calling the claims regarding Lawrence "utterly groundless smears."

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