British press ‘in the dock’ over range of abuses

BRITAIN’S press is “in the dock” for abuses ranging from phone hacking to hounding celebrities and crime victims, the Leveson Inquiry heard yesterday.

The mother of Hugh Grant’s child received threats after the actor spoke out against media intrusion, while Kate McCann felt “mentally raped” when a newspaper published her private diary, the hearing was told.

Murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s mother Sally experienced “euphoria” when she got through to her missing daughter’s mobile phone voicemail after a private detective working for the News of the World deleted some of the messages.