London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

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

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Maintains Non-negotiable Stance on Falklands and Gibraltar
Controversy Surrounds A75 Road Closures and 96-Mile Diversion
Crunch Time in Conservative Leadership Race
Keir Starmer's Challenges in the Wake of Sue Gray's Departure
Coroner Urges UK Government to Improve Severe ME Care
Starmer Calls for De-escalation in Middle East Amid Heightened Tensions
Chancellor Reeves Decides Against Pension Tax Hike
UK Advocates Urge Tobacco Windfall Tax and Permanent Levy
Starmer's Chief of Staff Plans Major Overhaul at Downing Street
Key Labour Thinktank Advocates New Powers for Mayors
Rachel Reeves Considers New Fiscal Rules for Infrastructure Spending
Great Britain Faces Lowest Winter Blackout Risk in Four Years
The Impact of Online Culture on Young Women: Survey Insights
Hypersonic Jet to Revolutionize Air Travel
Russian Medic Arrested for Alleged Satanism and Promoting LGBTQ Rights
UK: Chagos Islands Deal Was About Securing US Military Base
RT has converted key archive speeches delivered by Putin into spoken English using the help of AI
Walmart is now selling a new book titled The Achievements of Kamala Harris—and all the pages are blank.
Bill Gates: "6% of global emissions are cows... You can either fix the cows to stop them farting, or you can make beef without the cow."
Facilitated Communication: Miracle Tool or Manipulative Method?
The Allure of Browsing Online Property Portals: A Modern Obsession
Suspected Acid Attacker in London Bailed Amid Investigation
Tragic Channel Crossing: Four Migrants Killed
Labour Cabinet Ministers' Stances on Assisted Dying
The Influence of Tory Members on Party Leadership
UK Plans Major Overhaul of Employment Rights
UK Food Industry Lobbying Delays £1.7 Billion Plastic Packaging Tax
New UK Tipping Law Sparks Confusion Among Restaurant Staff
Debate Heats Up Over Assisted Dying Legislation in the UK
New Personalized Cancer Therapies Undergo Extensive Clinical Study
UAE Energy Minister: OPEC+ Doing a 'Noble' Job in Balancing Oil Market
Call for Wealth Tax Hikes to Curb Reform UK's Rise
Labour MP Supports Chancellor's Rejection of Wealth Tax
Debate Intensifies Over VAT Introduction for UK Private Schools
Israel Plans Retaliation Against Iran Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Norwegian Police Conclude 'Spy Whale' Hvaldimir's Death Due to Infection
Dominica Sells Citizenship to Boost Climate Resilience
Greta Thunberg Detained in Brussels During Protest Against Fossil Fuel Subsidies
UK Returns Chagos Islands to Mauritius After Decades-Long Dispute
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Overseas Territories Amid Falkland Islands Dispute
France's Silent March Supports Gisèle Pelicot: A Shocking Case
Robert Jenrick's Leadership Prospects: Challenges from the Right
Declining Interest in Grammar Schools Amid VAT Concerns
Emirates Bans Pagers and Walkie-Talkies on All Flights
Malaysian Father Burns Son's Motorbike to Prevent Racing Accidents
Donald Trump Urges Israel to Hit Iran's Nuclear Facilities First
Private Schools Face Enrollment Decline Due to Impending VAT on Fees
Wetherspoon’s CEO Criticizes Smaller Beer Glass Proposal and Licensing Hour Reduction
Starmer Defends UK Chagos Islands Decision Amidst Tory Criticism
Naomi Campbell Banned from Charity Work After Fashion for Relief Mismanagement
×