Doctor Who star wins damages in phone-hacking court hearing

ACTOR DAVID Tennant has received substantial damages and an apology from News Group Newspapers over phone-hacking at the News of the World.

The 46-year-old Doctor Who and Broadchurch star, inset, was among six individuals who settled their claims for misuse of private information and breach of confidence at London’s High Court.

The others were Olympic medallist Colin Jackson, actress Sophia Myles, party planner Fran Cutler, fashion designer Jess Morris and Tanya Frayne, ex-wife of footballer David James.

The amount of damages was not revealed at the hearing before Mr Justice Mann at a hearing yesterday.

Counsel Sara Mansoori said that it was agreed that NGN made no admission of liability in relation to their claims relating to The Sun.

Ms Mansoori said that Mr Tennant, who appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet

of Fire, “is a very private individual and he is outraged and shocked by the invasions of his privacy by individuals working for or acting on behalf of the News of the World”.

Ben Silverstone for NGN, which is also paying the claimants’ legal costs, offered its sincere apologies for the distress caused and said it accepted it had no right to intrude into his private life in this way.

Ms Mansoori said that the repeated publications caused “upset and suspicion” among Ms Cutler’s friends – the so-called Primrose Hill Set, which included Sadie Frost, Kate Moss, Meg Mathews and Pearl Lowe – and affected her business.

Jess Morris believed that the constant exposure of private information caused her relationship with actor Rhys Ifans to suffer and ultimately led to their separation.

Steven Heffer, partner and head of media and privacy at law firm Collyer Bristow, said: “Our clients have been through a distressing ordeal, and it is absolutely right that News Group Newspapers have apologised, acknowledged the harm they caused in open court and paid compensation.

“Our clients had their privacy violated, and an apology helps our clients to move on.”

None of the celebrities were in court.