Prince Harry's Tabloid War Escalates as US Private Eye 'Detective Danno' Confesses to Illegal Spying

In the hallowed, wood-panelled halls of the High Court, a ghost from the tabloid past has emerged to rattle the foundations of the British press. On Tuesday, a 79-year-old American private investigator, once a prolific cog in the Fleet Street machine, delivered a confession that seemed torn from the pages of a spy thriller.

Known in the trade as 'Detective Danno', Dan Portley-Hanks told the court he had targeted the Duke of Sussex using methods he now acknowledges were unlawful. The veteran investigator, whose career as an 'independent supplier of data' began after a stint in prison in 1979, said Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) — the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday — was once his most lucrative client.

His admission was as blunt as it was unsettling. 'I know that I did unlawful stuff on him, but I cannot recall what exactly,' he said in a witness submission.

A Million-Dollar Mystery and the Prince Harry Crusade

For the Duke of Sussex, the testimony is the latest volley in a 'titanic' legal battle against what he views as a 'vicious' and systemic culture of media intrusion. Portley-Hanks alleged that his work for ANL titles from the early 1990s to the early 2010s was so profitable that the newspapers became his most lucrative client. He described himself as 'the database guy', someone who could turn a simple name or phone number into a trove of private details within minutes.

His evidence forms a central pillar of the case brought by a group of high-profile claimants, including Prince Harry, Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence. They allege the publisher used deeply invasive methods, including commissioning the bugging of homes and cars, accessing private bank accounts, and using deception to obtain sensitive medical records.

While Portley-Hanks said he did not believe his actions were illegal at the time, he now admits to the unlawful gathering of personal data. He specifically recalled obtaining contact details for Sir Elton John and his partner, David Furnish, during his tenure.

ANL Hits Back as Prince Harry Trial Reaches Fever Pitch

The response from the publisher has been one of steadfast defiance. Antony White KC, representing ANL, has 'strongly denied' that Prince Harry was ever the subject of unlawful surveillance. The legal team has highlighted what it describes as significant inconsistencies in the investigator's account, pointing to contradictions in the timeline.

Specifically, lawyers noted that while Portley-Hanks claims he approached the claimants in 2021, the Duke of Sussex has previously said he learned of the alleged confessions a year earlier, in 2020.

The publisher has gone further, dismissing claims from other celebrities, including Elizabeth Hurley and Elton John, as 'entirely baseless' and 'groundless'. ANL alleges the purported confessions from private investigators were obtained through financial inducements and threats, rather than supported by credible evidence. White also told the court that, regarding allegations of police corruption, 'no document has been produced capable of supporting the allegation'.

As the trial before Justice Nicklin continues into March 2026, the stakes could hardly be higher. For Prince Harry, the case is more than a legal battle; it is, he says, a deeply personal quest for accountability for the 'misery' inflicted on his family. A written judgment is expected at a later date following the conclusion of proceedings.