A High Court hearing is examining a case involving former senior Liberal Democrat Sir Simon Hughes. Barrister David Sherborne has presented details concerning media actions related to Sir Simon's sexuality.
In 2006, Sir Simon Hughes was featured on the front page of The Sun following a confrontation by the paper's political editor regarding a gay chatline. This occurred during the party's leadership contest, which Sir Simon subsequently lost. Sherborne stated that The Mail was also prepared to exploit Sir Simon's sexuality.
The court was informed that The Daily Mail reportedly paid Greg Miskiw to obtain information about Sir Simon's partner, identified only as HJK. Miskiw, in turn, engaged Glenn Mulcaire, who was later convicted for phone hacking.
The story concerning HJK was not published due to other news events. However, evidence suggests The Mail on Sunday compensated Greg Miskiw £500 for his work on the matter.