Doreen Lawrence can’t remember ‘blagging’ conversation with journalist, High Court hears

The mother of murdered Stephen Lawrence does not remember a conversation with a journalist in which her private information was allegedly ‘blagged’, she told the High Court.

Lawyers for Doreen Lawrence allege the Daily Mail commissioned a ‘blagger’ to pose as a reporter from The Guardian newspaper and trick the grieving mother into discussing the family’s plans for a private prosecution.

But giving evidence to the High Court, Baroness Lawrence, 73, said she did not recall speaking to someone who claimed to be a Guardian journalist, and said she would not normally speak to journalists on the phone.

The Labour peer is one of seven public figures, including Prince Harry and Sir Elton John, who have launched a privacy case against Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday.

The newspaper group denies its journalists commissioned private investigators to carry out unlawful information gathering, including hacking phones, tapping landlines and blagging private information.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death by a racist thugs in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993 and his mother has led a campaign for justice for his murder.

Doreen Lawrence outside court with her long-time lawyer Imran Khan KC who also gave evidence in the case

Giving evidence at the privacy trial, she criticised the Metropolitan Police for leaking information about the case to the media, but said she now believed some information was unlawfully obtained by the Daily Mail.

Antony White KC, for Associated, has previously told the court the newspaper denies the allegation, and said it was not supported by evidence.

Cross-examining her about the alleged ‘blag’ in 1997 by investigator Christine Hart, Mr White asked Lady Lawrence if she remembered providing information to a journalist who claimed to be from The Guardian.

The peer replied ‘No’, adding: ‘When I do interviews, it ‘s usually face−to−face with somebody.’

She said she would not have known if a phone caller was a journalist or a blagger, but added: ‘I would not be speaking to The Guardian over the phone, because that’s not how I usually conduct interviews with newspapers. I usually conduct interviews face−to−face.’

Lady Lawrence said she had trusted the Mail, which campaigned for justice for her son, but felt she had been ‘played’.

The trial continues.