A private investigator who was found guilty of illegally obtaining classified information was found guilty by the Daily Mail and The Sunday Mail He remained his “best customers” after his conviction, the High Court heard.
Steve Whittamore, who was convicted and paroled in 2005, told of his activities for the publisher of the titles, Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), extending from 1998 to 2007.
In a written submission to the court, Whittamore said he and his network of other private investigators provided criminal records and names and addresses attached to phone numbers, “blogged” fraudulently collected personal data and obtained itemized phone bills.
“After my conviction, there were a few titles that I stopped advising on; however, some newspapers continued to use my services and these included the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mailhe said. “They were my best customers until April 2007 when the Daily Mail stopped using my services.
“Since I have not been charged with any crimes in connection with the telephone work I have conducted, I have continued to provide ex-directory numbers, mobile phone exchanges, itemized phone billing inquiries and blogs, and used some of the subcontractors I worked with prior to March 2003.”
Seven claimants, including Prince Harry, sued ANL for unlawful data collection. ANL denied all claims.
Whittamore said “I have no doubt that all regular users who use my services regularly or work in newsrooms know that information is obtained through illegal means such as blogging.”
“Journalists who have used me and editors who have endorsed it know very well that I am a practitioner of the ‘dark arts,'” he said. “If journalists can obtain the information they seek legally and not through blogging or other checks, newspapers will not need to use my special services.”
One of the claimants in the case, actor Sadie Frost, said she obtained details of the family through a subcontractor. He said a rights group showed him a “blog” about Frost in 2003.
In written submissions, ANL publicly admitted at the Leavson inquiry into the practices of the press that it had used “agents of inquiry” in the past, “and there were instances of blogging by those agents of inquiry (notably Mr Whittamore)”.
Appearing in court, former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre said the use of private investigators had been banned in 2007.
ANL said the claimant’s legal team was trying to link invoices to private investigators with articles complained about without evidence in the investigation, a tactic that amounted to “speculation”.
Journalists known to have used Whittamore’s services said they did so for legitimate help finding addresses or phone numbers and “did not know or suspect that Mr. Whittamore was acting illegally.”
Dacre was challenged on evidence he gave to the Leveson inquiry, where he said it was not clear what “journalists asked” of private investigators.
David Sherborne, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, showed Dacre a series of invoices. He pointed out that they are clear for finding details such as criminal record checks and vehicle registrations.
Dacre said he had not dealt with the invoices and could not comment without knowing their context, the story behind them and the information collected. He stood by his Leveson evidence.
Tensions between Sherborne and Judge Justice Nicklin were rising during the trial. The judge cautioned Sherborne to stick to the evidence of the seven claimants, rather than trying to use the trial as a public inquiry into alleged illegal activities at ANL.
The investigation is ongoing.
