‘Fake Sheikh’ Mazher Mahmood was convicted on Wednesday 5th October, for perverting the course of justice in a case against pop singer Tulisa Contostavlos.
Mark Lewis, media lawyer and partner at Seddons solicitors, has been instructed by 18 individuals to pursue civil claims against the Fake Sheikh, the former “king of sting”.
Some of these individuals were convicted of crimes which they argued at the time came as the result of false evidence.
The individuals, including some convicted more than 20 years ago, will pursue substantial compensation claims for the devastation their convictions have inflicted on their lives.
Immediately following the verdict, Mark Lewis commented:
“Over the last 25 years, innumerable lives have been ruined by the dishonest actions of Mazher Mahmood. People have lost their livelihoods, their homes and relationships, with some spending time in prison.
“When the public used to read ‘Fake Sheikh’ articles in British newspapers, they would know there was a criminal at the heart of the story. Until now, readers didn’t realise that the criminal was the ‘Fake Sheikh’ himself.
“Following today’s verdict, there will be a significant number of civil claims made against Mazher Mahmood. We anticipate the total sums involved could easily reach £800m, with some awards dwarfing those seen in the phone hacking scandal.”