Ex‑Mail Reporter Denies Payments for Lawrence Information in High Court

Published: 18 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

A former Daily Mail investigative journalist has strongly denied allegations that he made payments to private investigators or police officers for information about the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, telling the High Court that such claims were “absolute nonsense” and “the most despicable allegations it is possible to put to any journalist.” The comments were made as part of a wider privacy lawsuit brought by Baroness Doreen Lawrence — the mother of Stephen Lawrence — against the publisher Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), which also publishes the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline.

The case focuses on five Daily Mail articles about the 1993 murder of Lawrence, who was killed in a racially motivated attack in Eltham, southeast London. Baroness Lawrence claims that the newspaper and its journalists used unlawful methods — including tapping phones, monitoring bank accounts, and accessing private information — to generate stories about the case and, in some instances, made payments to obtain confidential material. ANL has denied all allegations of unlawful information gathering and said the articles in question were based on legitimate reporting and sources.

Giving evidence in court, former Daily Mail reporter Stephen Wright, who worked for the paper for more than three decades, rejected claims that he directed private investigators to “blag” information about Baroness Lawrence or her family. Wright said he never asked anyone to deceive the campaigner or acquire information through unlawful means. He acknowledged approaching a former police officer who provided tips and said he had taken that person to lunch on occasions, but insisted he never paid police officers for information or used private investigators in the ways suggested by the claimants’ legal team.

Lawyers for Baroness Lawrence highlighted records of a small payment made to a private investigator, with “Wright” referenced on the transaction, but Wright maintained this did not relate to him personally. He also rejected suggestions that he was a regular user of private investigation firms, arguing that the portrayal of his actions amounted to him being treated as “guilty until proven innocent.” Wright described the allegations as damaging and “devastating,” noting his proud involvement in campaigning for justice for Stephen Lawrence’s killers over many years.

The trial, which is ongoing, includes claims from multiple high‑profile figures — including Prince Harry and Sir Elton John — who allege unlawful practices by ANL in gathering personal information for stories. ANL’s defence contends that the evidence relied on by claimants is spurious or discredited and that all contested articles were reported legitimately. As proceedings continue, the dispute has raised broader questions about journalistic ethics, privacy rights and the methods used by newspapers in high‑stakes investigative reporting.

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