"A private investigator central to the legal action by the Duke of Sussex and others against the publisher of the Daily Mail has claimed that his signature on an earlier witness statement was a forgery, the high court has heard. Gavin Burrows, linked to the most serious allegations of unlawful information gathering made by seven prominent individuals including Elton John and Doreen Lawrence, retracted his alleged confession, saying it was completely false."
"In a fresh 30-page witness statement made on 25 September 2025, and released by the high court on Tuesday, he restated his denial, saying he had never carried out any illegal activity on behalf of ANL. In the new statement he claimed he did not recognise the purported witness statement on 16 August 2021. He said he believed it was prepared by others, that the signature is not mine, and did not accept the accuracy of much of the contents."
Seven prominent individuals, including the Duke of Sussex, Elton John and Doreen Lawrence, have alleged unlawful information gathering by Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL). The allegations include hiring private investigators to place listening devices in cars, blagging private records and accessing private phone conversations. Gavin Burrows was previously alleged to have stated in 2021 that he and his team hacked voicemails, tapped landlines, bugged cars and worked for the Mail on Sunday. Burrows previously retracted an alleged statement in 2023 and in a 30-page witness statement dated 25 September 2025 again denied the claims, said he did not recognise the 16 August 2021 statement, and asserted that the signature was a forgery. ANL denies the allegations and is defending the legal action; five claimants say they relied on evidence apparently obtained from Burrows.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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