London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Feb 10, 2025

Piers Morgan was told story was from voicemails, court hears

Piers Morgan was told story was from voicemails, court hears

Piers Morgan was told a Daily Mirror story about Kylie Minogue was obtained from voicemails during his time as the paper's editor, a court has heard.
Omid Scobie, who wrote a book about Prince Harry, says he heard the conversation while an intern in 2002.

Mr Morgan has always denied knowledge of any phone hacking.

Prince Harry is among a group accusing Mirror Group Newspapers of unlawful information-gathering. The newspaper group is contesting the claims.

MGN denies senior executives at the publisher of Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People knew about the practices and failed to stop them.

It is alleged that journalists from the newspapers obtained private and confidential information about people's lives through a variety of unlawful means between 1991 and 2011 - including accessing voicemail messages on their phones.

Mr Scobie was called to give evidence on day four of a High Court case brought against MGN.

The court heard that as a journalism student, Mr Scobie spent a week at the Sunday People where he claims he was given "a list of mobile numbers followed by a detailed verbal description of how to listen to voicemails, as if it were a routine newsgathering technique".

In a written witness statement describing work experience at the Daily Mirror in the spring of 2002, the royal commentator "recalls during one of those days in the office the editor, Piers Morgan, came over to talk to someone about a story relating to Kylie Minogue and her [then] boyfriend James Gooding".

"Mr Morgan was asking how confident they were in the reporting and was told that the information had come from voicemails," the statement adds.

"I recall being surprised to hear this at the time, which is why it stuck in my mind."

The court was also told there is an invoice from a private investigator firm for £170, addressed to a showbiz journalist at the paper, for "K Minogue".

Mirror Group Newspapers is contesting the cases and has said there is "no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception" in any of the four claims chosen as "representative" cases.

Andrew Green KC, for the group, accused Mr Scobie of "a false memory" and being a mouthpiece for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after co-authoring a book about them - Finding Freedom.

Mr Scobie denied having a "vested interest" in helping Prince Harry.

"What I am doing right now is giving ammunition to the tabloids to continue calling me his friend," Mr Scobie told the court.

The royal correspondent said he did not have Prince Harry's mobile number, adding: "I am a member of the press trying to do my job... what I am doing today is making my life more difficult."

Returning to Mr Scobie's work experience at MGN, Mr Green went on to suggest it was "somewhat implausible" that a student intern, who was only at the paper for about a week, would have been asked to hack phones.

Mr Scobie replied: "I was not a stranger to this [journalist], I had already met them at some events, I knew them through another person.

"The word hack was not used... this was just a journalist telling me how to do something."

Mr Scobie said: "It felt wrong. In the moment you just sit there and listen, it's only as it sinks in that it does not feel right."

He said he did not hack any phones.

Prince Harry is expected to give evidence at the trial in June. He among four people whose claims are being heard in the trial as "representative" cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher. They will also help the court set the level of damages MGN should pay if the claimants win.

Others involved are Coronation Street actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner, known by his stage name Michael Le Vell, and comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"Marrow stupid": Senator John Kennedy Blasts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Over Chagos Islands Transfer
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Surge Reshapes Electoral Dynamics
Kemi Badenoch Faces Internal Criticism After 100 Days as Tory Leader
Campaigners Urge UK to Apologise for Forced Adoptions
Church of England Upholds Traditional Eucharistic Elements Amid Calls for Alternatives
Rayner Defends Approach at Grenfell Tower Meeting Amid Dismantling Plan
China Implements Tit-for-Tat Tariffs on US Goods Amid Trade Escalation
Italy and Wales Set for Six Nations Clash at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico
Ministry of Justice Apologises Over Prisoner Early Release Letter Error
Rare First Edition Harry Potter Book Sells for Over Twenty-One Thousand Pounds
Drax Power Station Under Scrutiny for Incomplete Wood Sourcing Reporting
UK Government Reaffirms Pledge to Build 1.5 Million New Homes by 2029
Freed Israeli Hostage Learns of Family's Death After Release from Gaza
French President Macron Employs Deepfake Technology to Advocate for AI Summit
Trump Names Musk to Investigate Government Fraud Amidst Controversy
Police Stop Ed Sheeran's Street Performance in Bengaluru
FBI Alerts Smartphone Users About Toll Scam Threat
Australian Educator Declares Identity as a Cat, Sparking Parental Backlash
Kremlin Addresses Claims of Trump-Putin Phone Conversation in Light of Ukraine Crisis
Trump Connects with Putin to Address the Ukraine Crisis
Super Bowl Ad Prices Soar to Record Highs Amid Streaming Surge
China Achieves 2030 Solar Energy Targets Early, Cuts Subsidies for Renewable Energy
Trump Signs Executive Order Prioritizing White South African Refugees
Europe Faces Growing Security Concerns and Trump's New Demands on Ukraine
Trump Revokes Security Clearances of Biden Officials, Including Blinken and Sullivan
Justin Bieber Sparks Concern as New Footage Raises Health Fears
European Right-Wing Leaders Celebrate Trump’s Impact on Global Politics
Trump Administration Directs Admiral to Leave Official Residence Within Three Hours
British Health Secretary Andrew Gavin Fired Over Controversial Messages
Report: Iran Attempted to Assassinate Trump During Election Campaign
Trump Declares He Won't Deport Prince Harry, 'He's Already Dealing with Enough Issues with His Wife,' He Comments.
Macron's AI Vision Encounters Hindrance in the Global Technology Competition.
TikTok Sued Over Alleged Child Deaths Caused by 'Blackout Challenge'
Governments Prohibit DeepSeek AI Due to National Security Issues
Russian musician Vadim Stroykin passes away following an apparent fall during a police raid.
Zelensky Suggests Mineral Collaboration with Trump for Security Assistance
Naomi Campbell Claims Unawareness of Financial Irregularities at Fashion for Relief.
House Republican Introduces Bill Aimed at Limiting AI Exports to China
Trump Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Transgender Athletes from Competing in Women's Sports
Intense Pressure Builds for a Free Trade Agreement Between the UK and GCC in Light of Economic Difficulties
UAE Aids in the Transfer of 300 Prisoners Between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump Suggests U.S. 'Takeover' of Gaza, Sparking Global Worries
At least ten fatalities reported in Swedish school shooting, authorities confirm.
EU Reveals Significant Advances on Special Tribunal for Prosecuting Vladimir Putin
Trump Administration Preparing Executive Order to Abolish the Department of Education
Trump's Gaza Plan Provokes Global Debate
Spain Endorses Initiative to Cut Working Week to 37.5 Hours
Australia Prohibits DeepSeek AI on Government Devices Due to Security Issues
Trump Warns of Tariffs on EU Products, Labels Bloc an 'Atrocity' in Trade Matters
Zelenskyy Proposes Nuclear Arsenal if NATO Membership Lingers.
×