Nikki Sanderson; what we learned from her witness statement as she continues in London’s High Court

With court resuming after lunch later than scheduled due to a delay at the London High Court hearing of Various Claimants v MGN, it was a respite for a tearful Nikki Sanderson, who continues to deliver testimony in the witness box today. The former Coronation Street actress took to the stand yesterday afternoon after Prince Harry’s case in the overarching phone hacking claim came to a close. However, David Sherborne is once again present, representing Sanderson in her case against the Daily Mirror et. al.

With her witness statement having been published, we learned first and foremost that the Mirror Group Newspapers have admitted four occasions when journalists instructed private investigators to gather information unlawfully regarding stories surrounding Ms Sanderson - there was also an earlier admission by Andrew Green KC that there was an admission of guilt Harry also had one account of gathering information unlawfully.

Green said to Sanderson earlier in course that MGN "unequivocally apologise to you for that", he and it "shouldn't have happened and won't again.” In her witness statement, the actress expressed how, much akin to Harry, she developed a sense of fear and mistrust towards people around her when salacious stories started appearing in the tabloids.

In some of this week’s most emotional moments, Sanderson broke down a number of times, one shortly after discussing how her mother would collect clippings of her appearances in newspapers during her rise to stardom, but that stopped when more lurid stories about the actress appeared. 

She also was questioned about the parasocial relationship television viewers have with their favourite soap characters, leading Sanderson to reveal at times it was harrowing. “People screaming insults at me is a distressing subject in my life," she said. Andrew Green KC then brought up a Daily Star article on the same subject, which reports fans would "confuse her with her character" and that the actress was "reduced to tears with jealous girls branding her a sl*t in the street". 

Mr Green said that by July 2001, the star was "experiencing regular verbal abuse" and "very honestly and openly speaking about it to the press". He pointed out that she has given a comment herself to the newspaper - and Sanderson says she may "potentially" have commented, but that other quotes in the article were "not me talking". 

The key points from Nikki Sanderson’s witness statement

• Sanderson, currently starring in Hollyoaks and previously appearing in Coronation Street from 1999 to 2005, reveals that she developed a sense of fear and mistrust towards people around her when stories started appearing in the tabloids.
• She expresses how the experience was distressing and made her feel unable to trust anyone, as she began assuming that they were selling stories to the press.
• Sanderson suspected that someone working in the press office at Coronation Street was leaking stories about her, which led her to stop sharing information about her private life with them.
• Reflecting on her actions, she expresses remorse about withholding information from the press office and acknowledges feeling awful about it now.
• Sanderson accuses MGN of alleged phone hacking and unlawful information gathering, which she claims caused the blurring of lines between her public and private life.
• She expresses her belief that MGN's actions made her feel like public property and accuses them of "gaslighting" for suggesting that she brought her claim too late.
• Sanderson feels that MGN is trying to shift the blame onto her, describing their tactics as another form of character assassination.
• She recounts instances of paparazzi photographers following her and invading her privacy while on holiday, comparing their actions to those seen in serial killer dramas.
• Sanderson received abuse due to stories that portrayed her as promiscuous, leading to mental and physical abuse from the public.
• The backlash from the public included verbal harassment, name-calling, physical aggression, and an incident where a group of girls set her hair on fire in a nightclub restroom.
• She mentions another incident at a bowling alley where she had to barricade herself in a restroom to escape threats from girls.
• Sanderson states that MGN's alleged illegal activities had a significant impact on her life, leaving her paranoid about sharing information and being photographed while on vacation.
• Throughout her statement, she emphasises the word "abuse" to describe the treatment she endured and notes that those who targeted her held positions of power.