Gazza Claims Hacking Linked To Alcoholism
Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has told the High Court having his phones hacked contributed towards his alcoholism.
The 47-year-old started his evidence at the hearing in London to determine what compensation should be paid by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in eight representative cases by telling Mr Justice Mann that he was "fuming".
Gascoigne said he repeatedly changed his mobile because he knew there was something going on with it.
His voice hoarse, and shaking with emotion, he said: "I knew I was getting hacked by the Mirror. This continued for ages. Phone calls to my father and family were getting blocked so I changed my mobile. It happened again so I kept on changing mobiles, five or six times a month."
Questioned by barrister David Sherborne, who represents victims of hacking and who has said the practice was rife at all three of the group's national titles by mid-1999, Gascoigne said that, to start with, the experience was "so scary".
The former England midfielder, who is complaining about 18 articles - all accepted to have been the product of illegal activity - said: "I couldn't speak to anybody, I was scared to speak to anybody ... my parents, my family and kids, it was just horrendous.
"And people can't understand why I became an alcoholic."
After speaking briefly, Gascoigne was told he would not face cross-examination by Matthew Nicklin QC, for MGN, and his evidence was going unchallenged.
He replied: "I have waited 15 years to be sat here so I am disgusted, really.
"I would like to trade my mobile phone in for a coffin because these guys have ruined my life. I have no life."
In a written statement to the court, Gascoigne said he had benefited from fame but he had also suffered heartache as he faced the end of his playing career.
The constant media pressure had made it hard for him to lead a normal life and his family were no longer as close as they had been, he said.
He also discussed his alcoholism, his treatment for drug abuse and his addiction to Red Bull.
"I have suffered from mental illness, including paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. I am bipolar and I have an addictive personality."
He said he had accused people, including stepdaughter Bianca, of giving stories about him to newspapers.
"I became obsessed about being monitored. I felt that I was being watched or listened into all the time for years and the pressure on me because of that was more than I think any sane person could bear."
While at Everton in 2000, he checked in to the Priory Clinic to get urgent help.
"The main reason why I had to go to get help at the Priory on this occasion was the constant pressure from the media, including articles and threats of articles being published by journalists.
"I was also convinced that my phone was being tapped to get stories about me that very few people knew about. I felt very paranoid at that time about being pursued by the media.
"I felt that I could not cope with the media attention any more and I seriously thought about jumping in front of a train."
Former EastEnders actress Lucy Taggart - previously Lucy Benjamin - told the court that hacking had left her feeling like she was "in a boxing ring without any gloves".
She said: "With each one I always felt like I had to pick myself up and dust myself off and carry on.
"But on the following day or following week there would be another article about something else and it felt like I was being punched and battered and bruised."
She said she still questioned what she had done to deserve "the amount of hacking that took place and the articles that were printed".
