Former Daily Mail Showbusiness Editor Denies Hacking Sadie Frost's Voicemails
In a recent court testimony, the former editor of the Daily Mail's showbusiness section has vehemently denied allegations of hacking Sadie Frost's voicemails to obtain information for published articles. The dispute centers around four articles published between 2003 and 2005, all of which bear the editor's byline.
During her testimony on Tuesday, the editor stated categorically, "I have never listened to voicemail messages to gather information for stories." She dismissed the claims as "rubbish." The editor further explained that the information in one of the articles was either already in the public domain or, more likely, came from a freelance contact, identified as Sharon Feinstein.
"Sharon had a strong source within Sadie Frost's social circle or family, and she was able to obtain excellent information from that source. I would usually speak to her for this kind of information," the editor said. She added that this source was consistent and reliable, and she knew who the source was.
David Sherbone, representing the claimants, questioned the editor about a series of articles detailing private conversations between Frost and Law during their divorce. Sherborne suggested that the information was obtained by listening to their phone messages. However, the editor firmly denied this, stating, "No, I did not, never." She added, "You had listened to the most primary source you could." Sherborne responded with "Rubbish."
The claimants, including Prince Harry, have accused ANL of "clear, systematic, and sustained use of unlawful information gathering" for stories between 1993 and 2018, including through private investigators and "blagging." The case is ongoing and is expected to last nine weeks. This case has raised questions about the ethics of journalism and the methods used to obtain information, sparking a debate about the boundaries of investigative journalism and the importance of respecting privacy.
