Prince Harry's Legal Team Accused of 'Intimidating' Private Investigator, Leaving Him 'Fearful For His Safety' Before Bombshell Trial
Prince Harry's legal team has been accused of 'intimidating' a witness.
Jan. 15 2026, Published 6:41 p.m. ET
A witness against Prince Harry in his latest lawsuit claims the former working royal's legal team has "intimidated" him so badly that he now "fears" for his safety, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Private investigator Gavin Burrows made the accusations during a pretrial hearing ahead of the case starting on January 19, when the Duke of Sussex, 41, plans to be in attendance.
Gavin Burrows 'Putting Himself at Personal Risk'
Prince Harry has waged war with several British tabloids over unlawful information gathering.
Harry and several other stars, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, are suing Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, accusing the company of unlawful information gathering.
Burrows confessed to obtaining information through phone tapping, bugging cars, and hacking voicemails for the publications in 2021, but recanted the claims two years later. He also said his signature on a previous witness document was forged.
On Thursday, January 15, Burrows told the court he wants to give his testimony remotely, as "a blatant attempt to intimidate him" was made on the eve of the trial by people associated with Harry's legal team.
The PI's attorney, Tom Poole, explained that his client "has always been fully willing to give evidence voluntarily, but is concerned that by doing so, he puts himself at personal risk."
A 'Blatant Attempt' at Intimidation
Prince Harry will be present in London when the trial kicks off on January 19.
Poole told the court that Burrows "was contacted yesterday afternoon by Byline Times, which he understands works in close connection with the claimants’ legal representatives," referring to Harry's lawyers.
"He rightly or wrongly has interpreted the email, which was saying that they are going to be publishing an article about him today...he has interpreted that rightly or wrongly as a blatant attempt to intimidate him at the commencement of trial before he is due to give evidence," the attorney alleged.
Byline Times' sister publication, Byline Investigates, has allegedly been used by convicted phone hacker Graham Johnson to publish stories favorable to Harry, as the former News of the World writer is aligned with the anti-hacking group Hacked Off.
Johnson has reportedly been working with the duke's legal research team while gathering evidence against Associated Newspapers.
'Untrustworthy' Harry
Prince Harry is barely on speaking terms with his cancer-stricken father, King Charles III.
Harry will make a rare trip back to the UK when the trial begins, and his testimony is scheduled for January 22.
There had been speculation that the prince might try to make a reconciliatory move towards meeting with his cancer-stricken father, King Charles III, while in London, but the monarch will likely be away in Scotland.
Charles sees his wayward son as "untrustworthy" after he spoke to a British publication just days after their 50-minute private "peace talks" in September 2025.
"The royal family views him as untrustworthy and a liability, largely due to concerns that private conversations will quickly find their way into the press. This is especially sensitive given that the king’s cancer treatment is considered a deeply private matter," royal expert Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital.
Harry's Life has Become 'Built on Conflict'
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Harry's endless lawsuits since quitting the royal family have become an 'embarrassment' to his dad.
Not only is Harry seen as someone who can't be trusted after his torrents of hateful accusations against his family since stepping down as a senior working royal in 2020, but his relatives are also aghast at the duke's never-ending, highly public lawsuits.
"Prince Harry is accustomed to a life built on conflict," British broadcaster Helena Chard pointed out to Fox News Digital.
"He has sued the Mail on Sunday and much more, to the embarrassment of his father. He still maintains that he has been stitched up by the establishment. It’s a no-brainer, and safe to say that King Charles will not be seeing Prince Harry," she noted about how no reunion will happen this time around when the former Netflix star hits British shores.
