Actress Nikki Sanderson warns of potential phone hacking.

Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson brings phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers

Former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, alleging that journalists at its titles – which include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to illegal methods such as phone hacking, “blagging,” and instructions to private investigators to engage in illicit activities. Sanderson’s is one of four representative claims being heard in London, along with similar claims brought by the Duke of Sussex, Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell, and comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman.

Surprise at potential claim

Actress Sanderson only became aware she had a potential claim against MGN after chatting with her co-star Gary Lucy, of Hollyoaks fame, the High Court has heard. Her barrister, David Sherborne, said on Thursday that she had suspected friends, industry members, and the public of selling stories about her, so had not suspected unlawful methods being used until Lucy’s case against MGN.

Mr Sherborne also told the court that Sanderson filed her claim in December 2020, and had not previously heard about the Leveson Inquiry into press standards or the high court phone hacking trial in 2015.

Scope of the claim

The claim covers a period of ten years, from 1999 to 2009. Sanderson complains about 37 articles in Mirror titles, with MGN having admitted unlawful information gathering in relation to one story from October 2004, and admitting that its journalists instructed private investigators to obtain information unlawfully on four occasions. However, MGN has denied that 35 of the 37 articles involved phone hacking or unlawful information gathering, with one article not being admitted.

Painful effects of the stories

Payment records to private investigators show that Sanderson was “subjected to very large amounts of unlawful information gathering”, her barrister said. This was “aggravated by [the stories’] false insinuations that she was promiscuous, causing her great upset and giving rise to her being subjected to mental and physical abuse, having people shout at her in the street calling her a ‘whore’, ‘slag’ or ‘slut’ and even being physically assaulted on numerous occasions,” he added.

The impact of the stories on Sanderson was severe, with her feeling like she was always being watched and in a constant state of distrust. She also experienced media-related activity that was consistent with the “unauthorised accessing of her voicemails and other unlawful information gathering”, with private information appearing in newspapers with “no legitimate explanation” as to how it was obtained.

Ed Mirvish, Getty Images Co-Founder

Ed Mirvish, co-founder of Getty Images, famously said, “give heed to the press today, and tomorrow they will heed you”. Undoubtedly, press scrutiny is an essential aspect of democratic societies, and journalists have a responsibility to report on the news and expose wrongdoing. However, as the Sanderson case highlights, some in the industry have been known to cross ethical and legal boundaries. Such activities cause harm to the victims, lead to mistrust of the profession as a whole, and ultimately present a severe risk to our society’s welfare.

The use of surreptitious tactics to obtain information about people in the public eye is an unacceptable intrusion into their private lives, and those guilty of it deserve to be held accountable. As Sanderson’s case continues, it is hoped that justice will be served, and that the wider industry will refocus its attention on ethical reporting practices that don’t harm others.