Judge ‘Accepts’ Omid Scobie Claim Then-Mirror Editor Piers Morgan Knew About Phone Hacking

Piers Morgan leaves his home in London, UK on 30th November 2023 for the TalkTV studios where he will present Piers Morgan Uncensored.

As the conclusion of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) case continues to rock the British tabloid world, High Court Judge Mr. Justice Fancourt said he believed Piers Morgan, the former editor of the Mirror, knew of the unlawful phone hacking activities.

The judge said he “accepts” the testimony of Omid Scobie. Scobie’s testimony in court accused Morgan of knowing about the phone hacking and aimed to paint a vivid picture of the inner workings of the tabloid industry.

Scobie recalled a specific incident from his days as a student intern at the newspaper group, Working on the “3am Girls” entertainment desk back in 2002. He claimed he witnessed a telling exchange in which Morgan inquired about the reliability of a story concerning singer Kylie Minogue. The response he received was that the information had come from a voicemail, a revelation that points to the unlawful information gathering methods the publisher used to obtain exclusive stories.

Further to that, the judge referenced an invoice from a private investigator tasked with obtaining the mobile phone numbers of Minogue and her then-partner, model James Gooding. This piece of evidence, he said, corroborates Scobie’s account and suggests a systematic approach to gathering information through questionable means.

Scobie is the author of a new book on the royal family called Endgame, which alleged racism in the royal family. The controversy was compounded when the two allegedly “racist” royals had their identities inadvertently revealed in a Dutch translation of the book. This led to an open spat with Morgan, who openly branded the writer a “liar.”

Meanwhile, in a statement celebrating a “momentous win” issued by Prince Harry’s lawyer David Sherbourne outside the court, the Duke of Sussex also name dropped Morgan.

“The court has found that Mirror group’s principle board directors, their legal department, senior executives and editors, such as Piers Morgan, clearly knew about or were involved in these illegal activities,” Sherbourne said.

Morgan has always denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity during his tenure as editor. Morgan did not provide testimony to the court.