The trial of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in the UK High Court has seen several high-profile individuals, including Prince Harry, bring claims against the publisher for alleged unlawful information-gathering, including voicemail interception, securing information through deception, and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities. The publisher is contesting the claims, with MGN claiming that there is “no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception” in any of the four representative cases.
Omid Scobie, co-author of the biography “Finding Freedom” about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was called as a witness in the trial. Scobie denied having a “vested interest” in helping Harry, despite his book being considered “favourable to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”. The author claimed that his writing was simply a result of his professional duty to report on the couple’s story.
Scobie detailed his experiences in the early 2000s, when he spent a week at the Sunday People as a journalism student. He recalled being given a list of mobile numbers and instructed on how to listen to voicemails, which seemed “completely immoral” to him. Scobie claimed he never carried out the task. He also testified about his work experience at the Daily Mirror in spring 2002, where he allegedly overheard then-editor Piers Morgan being told that information relating to Kylie Minogue and her boyfriend had come from voicemails. Scobie recalled being surprised by this revelation, which stuck in his mind due to his earlier experience at the Sunday People.
Mirror Group Newspapers
Scobie was questioned about his connection to Harry, with MGN’s barrister, Andrew Green, suggesting that his career was “to some extent linked” to the couple. Scobie denied having a vested interest in helping Harry, stating that he was simply a journalist trying to do his job. Scobie also denied being Harry’s “mouthpiece” or “cheerleader”, claiming that he did not have Harry’s mobile number and was wrongly described as such.
The trial also saw the testimony of Dan Evans, a former Sunday Mirror reporter and self-proclaimed “in-house hacker”. Evans alleged that there was “endemic criminality” at both the News of the World and MGN, with many people involved in unlawful information-gathering activities. Evans described the widespread use of phone hacking and other illegal methods to obtain information, which had become a normal part of the news gathering process.
The trial has highlighted the allegations of widespread phone hacking and other illegal activities by MGN, which have resulted in a significant reputational damage to the company. The trial is ongoing, with a verdict expected to be delivered in the coming months.
