London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 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
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×