Phone hacking: Charles Russell Speechlys achieves settlement for celebrity clients from News Group Newspapers

Charles Russell Speechlys can today confirm the settlement of Privacy claims for unlawful voicemail interception on behalf of two television personalities, Tina O’Brien and Ryan Thomas.

The claims were brought against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of News of the World and The Sun.

Ms O’Brien and Mr Thomas claimed their voicemail messages were hacked by NGN journalists and, as a result, they would have been privy to personal voicemails from friends and family on their phones, and messages they left for others. A settlement has now been agreed. Each settlement includes an undertaking by NGN not to intercept the Claimants’ voicemail messages, to pay compensation to the Claimants, and join in a statement in open Court to apologise to the Claimants for the misuse of their private information.

The public apology was made today in the Commercial Court in London.  Claire Greaney and Hannah Kent, Associates at Charles Russell Speechlys, were in Court today to read the statements on behalf Ms O’Brien and Mr Thomas. In Court NGN, through its lawyers, offered its apologies to Ms O’Brien and Mr Thomas “for the distress caused to [them] by the invasion of [their] privacy by individuals working for or on behalf of the News of the World”. 

Duncan Lamont, Consultant, Charles Russell Speechlys, says:

“We are pleased that we could assist our clients in resolving their disputes with NGN and that the publisher has made a public apology to each of these clients”