An editor for a now defunct U.K. newspaper said at his trial on Wednesday that he hacked Kate Middleton's phone 155 times.
Clive Goodman, who is on trial in London for phone hacking-related charges, admitted to hacking the Duchess of Cambridge's phone 155 times in 2005, before she married Prince William, the Associated Press reported.
Goodman, who was the royal editor for the News of the World, also admitted to hacking Prince William's phone 35 times and Prince Harry's phone nine times. The former editor said he hacked Middleton's phone because "she was a figure of increasing importance around the Royal Family," according to the BBC.
"There were discussions about her and Prince William marrying, moving in, settling down. She started to receive semi-royal status and things were moving on."
Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, in 2011.
Goodman is one of several defendants on trial for criminal acts including hacking the phones of public figures and kidnapping a 13-year-old girl while working at News of the World, the AP reported. Rupert Murdoch, who owned the paper, shut the tabloid down in 2011.
Goodman was previously convicted in 2007 for hacking the phones of the royal family's aides. But police never asked him if he hacked the phones of the royals themselves, Goodman said.
"I have been as open and honest about hacking as I can be, but nobody has asked me any questions about this before," Goodman said according to the AP.
Goodman added he did not "forget" to say he hacked Middleton's phone and that he has no intentions of hiding information from the prosecutor.
"There has been no intention to deceive you or anybody else in relation to phone hacking," Goodman said according to the BBC.
The journalist's trial was continued on Wednesday after a two-month hiatus where Goodman reportedly dealt with health issues.
