Phone hacking: Three accept Mirror Group damages

Emma Noble, pictured in 2001, was married to former prime minister John Major's son

Actress Emma Noble, Jude Law's personal assistant and a Hollywood stuntman have accepted damages in a settlement of phone-hacking claims.

Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) also apologised for the damage and distress caused to PA Ben Jackson, Ms Noble and stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton.

The settlements reached have not been disclosed.

Mr Justice Mann said unlawfully accessing voicemails to get private information should not have been done.

He added that there was no legitimate justification for this or the publication of the resulting articles.

As well as the damages, MGN said it would pay reasonable costs.

None of the complainants attended the hearing at London's High Court.

Changed numbers

Counsel David Sherborne said Mr Jackson was suspicious about unusual calls to his phone and articles appearing in the media about Jude Law and their mutual circle of friends in 2003 and 2004.

He and Mr Law were concerned that someone close to them was leaking information to the press, and changed their phone numbers on multiple occasions as a security measure, the court heard.

Mr Sherborne said MGN had admitted the unlawful activities were likely to have resulted in the publication of two articles in the Sunday Mirror at the time.

Ms Noble, ex-daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister John Major, was targeted from the start of her relationship with his son, James Major, in 1998, he said.

MGN admitted last October she had been the subject of its unlawful activity for certain periods over 10 years, and subsequently two articles about her were published.

Bobby Holland Hanton was targeted because of his relationship with EastEnders actress Lucy Taggart

Mr Holland Hanton was targeted because of his relationship with actress Lucy Taggart, who played Lisa Fowler in EastEnders, the court heard.

Documents showed his phone was hacked between 2004 and 2006 and he was the subject of numerous private investigator inquiries between 2003 and 2005.

Mr Holland Hanton, who was Daniel Craig's stunt double in James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, and Ms Taggart suspected each other of selling stories, which caused a breakdown of trust and many heated arguments.

These were, Mr Holland Hanton believed, partly responsible for their break-up, the court heard.

Mr Sherborne said both Mr Holland Hanton and Ms Noble had brought claims that covered unlawful activity by the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the People.

He added they had both "expressed their feelings of anger and violation in relation to what happened to them and their private information being so grossly misused for profit."