Mirror pays damages to celebrities and their families for phone hacks

THE mother and brother of former TV presenter John Leslie have received damages and an apology from Mirror Group Newspapers over phone-hacking.

Lexia and Grant Stott, a TV and radio presenter, were among 44 individuals whose cases were resolved at London’s High Court.

The hacking is thought to date back to 2003 when Leslie was dropped from his co-presenting job on This Morning.

It followed claims by TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson that she had been raped by an acquaintance. Another TV presenter, Matthew Wright, then linked Mr Leslie to that claim live on his show.

Although he was questioned by police, Leslie, of Edinburgh, was not charged and has since spoken about how the incident destroyed his career.

Jeffrey Archer and his wife Mary, Kevin Keegan, former home secretary Charles Clarke and actress Patsy Kensit were among the other individuals whose cases were resolved.

It took more than two hours for the agreed statements settling their actions for misuse of private information to be read out to Mr Justice Mann.

None of the well-known names involved – which also included Jo Wood, the ex-wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, actress Gillian Taylforth and a number of TV soap stars – attended.

As well as the damages, MGN offered its apologies in each case.

It is understood some of the settlements exceed the £260,250 record damages awarded to actress and businesswoman Sadie Frost following a High Court trial in 2015 – and that around 50 claims are still in the pipeline.

Solicitor Gerald Shamash told the court the activities were extremely damaging for Lord Archer and Dame Mary.