“I was told that killing dragons can result in burns”

“My commitment to seeing this matter through is based on our belief in our need – and collective right – to a free and fair press,” the Duke of Sussex said in a statement.

Prince Harry has spoken out after winning a lawsuit against a British newspaper publisher that accused him of wiretapping telephone conversations and other unlawful activities.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, who was awarded more than $180,000, was unable to attend London’s High Court on Friday “due to the short notice” of the hearing, according to his lawyer David Sherbourne. Harry did, however, issue a lengthy and powerful statement, which was read aloud outside the courthouse by Sherbourne after the ruling was announced.

“This case is not just about hacking. It is about a systematic practice of unlawful and horrific conduct, followed by clever trickery and the destruction of evidence, the shocking scale of which can only be revealed during the course of these proceedings,” Harry said in a statement, in part.

“The path to justice can be slow and painful, and since I filed suit almost five years ago, defamatory stories and intimidation tactics have been used against me and my family. And as I have learned throughout this process, patience is actually a virtue. Especially in the face of revenge journalism,” he continued.

“My commitment to seeing this through is based on my belief in our need – and collective right – for a free and honest press. And one that is properly held to account when it needs to be. That is what we need in the UK and around the world. Anything less poisons the well for the profession we all depend on.

Related: Prince Harry wins phone-tapping lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers: ‘A great day for truth’

“The acts detailed in the judgment are prime examples of what happens when the power of the press is abused. I respectfully call on the authorities, the financial regulator, the Stock Exchange, who were deliberately defrauded by the Mirror Group, the Metropolitan Police and law enforcement agencies, to do their duty to the British public and explore the possibility of prosecuting the company and those who broke the law.

“Today’s verdict is vindicative and affirming. I was told that slaying dragons would end in burns, but in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and fair press, it is a price worth paying. The mission goes on.”

The presiding judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, made the ruling at the High Court in London on Friday morning, finding that 15 of the 33 articles claimed by Harry and published by Mirror Group Newspapers “were the product of wiretapping of his mobile phone or the mobile phones of his associates, or the product of other unlawful information gathering”.

Following Friday’s ruling, a spokesperson for Mirror Group Newspapers said in a statement: “We welcome today’s ruling, which gives the company the clarity it needs to move beyond the events that took place many years ago.”

“Where historical wrongdoing occurred, we apologise unreservedly, take full responsibility and have paid appropriate compensation,” the statement continued.

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Prince Harry was one of several plaintiffs to sue Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for alleged illegal news gathering and testified against the publisher Everyday mirror, Sunday mirror, Sunday people and more in the High Court over the summer. He first filed suit against MGN in 2019.

Harry is currently involved in three other cases against newspaper publishers in the UK.

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