Archive for September 17th, 2012
Cayman’s lord sues UK newspaper over hacking
(CNS): The head of the Cayman Islands London Office has added his name to the list of high-profile people in the UK to launch civil actions against News International (NI). The former Conservative minister, who has multiple sclerosis, was allegedly hacked by the News of the World because they mistook his condition for alcohol abuse. David Maclean was created a life peer in 2010 as Lord Blencathra and took up the post in London lobbying on behalf of Cayman’s finance sector and the government last November. The Tory lord is one of around 130 names in a new list of hacking victims who have filed suit against the paper at the High Court.
Lord Blencathra announced in 2003 that he had been suffering from multiple sclerosis since 1996. The neurological condition can lead to mobility and balance problems and muscle weakness, which reportedly led the paper into believing the peer was engaging in excessive drinking.
According to the British press, a trial date is expected next year. News International has already settled claims with 50 people whose phones were reportedly hacked by the Sunday Tabloid’s journalists. The Metropolitan Police has had close to 400 recent enquiries from individuals seeking to learn if their phones were targeted and illegally accessed by the NOTW.