Overview
- Private investigator Gavin Burrows filed a 30‑page statement saying he does not recognize an August 2021 witness document and believes the signature was forged.
- He contends the earlier claims of hacking, landline tapping and car bugging for Mail titles are false, saying he never carried out illegal work for them aside from one lawful job linked to Sir Richard Branson.
- Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that materials held by the claimants’ research team fall within their control and must be properly searched and disclosed.
- Lawyers on both sides accuse each other of drip‑feeding disclosure, with ongoing disputes over searches of archive boxes and whether document reviews have been adequate.
- The court gave the claimants seven days to consider a witness summons for Burrows as ANL seeks to cross‑examine him, with a multi‑week trial still listed for January 2026 and ANL continuing to deny the allegations.