Piers Morgan knew how to hack phones and explained how, former Mirror journalist tells High Court
Piers Morgan knew how to hack phones and explained how to do it, a former Mirror journalist has told the High Court.
David Seymour, the group political editor of the newspaper from 1993 to 2007, gave evidence in the trial against publishers Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), brought by claimants including Prince Harry.
Mr Seymour told the court that while he had no personal knowledge of phone hacking during his time at the Mirror, he did have experience of the “work and behaviour” of Mr Morgan, who he described as an “extremely boastful” person.
Prince Harry gave evidence in his case earlier on in the trial
In his witness statement submitted to the court, Mr Seymour said he “came to learn of some of the dubious methods being used to get stories” during Mr Morgan’s time in charge, between 1995 and 2004.
Describing an incident that followed a chairman’s lunch in 2002, Mr Seymour said he was approached by a colleague as he sat at his desk.
“My colleague started by saying: ‘You’ll never guess what Piers just said’,” Mr Seymour wrote in his statement.
The colleague told Mr Seymour that Mr Morgan had “mocked” the then chief executive of BT, “saying something like: ‘You need to tell your customers to change the PIN numbers on their mobile phones from factory settings, because otherwise you can just get into their voicemail messages’.
“My colleague then explained to me how it was done – in fact they had to explain three or four times since I am not technically literate, and I still wasn’t sure how phone hacking was done by the end of our conversation.
“My colleague also told me that everyone else at the table heard what Piers had said.”
‘Truth never emerged’ about Princess Diana story
Mr Seymour said he had “no reason to doubt the veracity” of what his colleague had told him, and said he recalled the conversation “very well” as his colleague “was so shocked”.
In court, MGN’s lawyer Richard Munden asked Mr Seymour why Mr Morgan would speak about this kind of thing openly. Mr Seymour told the court that Mr Morgan was “boastful” and would “behave foolishly” at times.
The former political journalist also gave details about a story written about Princess Diana, which included a photo of her crying after a visit to her “saviour” friend and therapist as she dealt with her divorce from Prince Charles, now the King.
Mr Seymour spoke about the article in court, and said in his witness statement: “The article clearly suggests to readers, and the public, that Princess Diana was upset because of the problems she faced in her life, and having unburdened herself to her therapist.”
However, Mr Seymour said that a few days after the story was published, he remembers seeing Mr Morgan and others watching a video which had been taken by a paparazzi photographer present at the time, which showed why Diana was really upset – after being “hounded up and down the street by a baying, cat-calling mob of photographers” from a number of different press organisations.
Mr Seymour said in his statement that “the truth never emerged” about how the story was obtained and he was “upset and ashamed that we had printed something so cruel, intrusive and false”. He said Mr Morgan understood the significance of the video, writing in his statement that the then editor said: “If this gets out, we’re finished.”
‘Craig Charles thought I was a Coronation Street mole’
Michael Turner, who plays Kevin Webster in Coronation Street and is known professionally as Michael Le Vell, is the fourth claimant to give evidence
The bulk of the evidence on Monday came from Coronation Street actor Michael Turner, who plays Kevin Webster in the soap and is known professionally as Michael Le Vell.
Asked by MGN’s lawyer Mr Munden why he is convinced he was the victim of unlawful information gathering, the actor responded: “There just seems to be a few coincidences, let’s say.”
He continued: “To be honest, I never really thought about it until someone got in touch with me to point things out.”
The actor’s claim concerns 28 articles published between 1991 and 2011, covering a range of stories – including a burglary at his home and the births of his children, as well as his arrest for suspected sexual offences, which he was later cleared of, in 2011.
During cross-examination by MGN’s lawyer, Mr Turner conceded that some details included in stories he has complained about were available publicly.
He told how his Corrie co-stars thought he was a “mole” – and said in his witness statement that he said at the time he found this “more offensive than being called a sex offender”.
In court, he said: “Being a mole or leaking was one of the worst things you could do in our business.”
He went on to say he was “mortified” that his former co-star Craig Charles, best known for starring in Red Dwarf, thought he had been leaking information.
Asked to clarify whether he genuinely thought this was worse than being accused of sexual offences, he replies: “It’s not, obviously.” Mr Turner told the court he said this to emphasise the severity of the accusation and how awful he felt about it.
Mr Turner was later accused himself of a sexual offence, in 2011, but was cleared.
The actor is among more than 100 individuals suing MGN – publisher of the Daily and Sunday Mirror and the Sunday People – for compensation over claims its journalists were linked to phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception and the use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
The actor’s case is one of four representative claims being heard at the High Court in London, alongside similar claims brought by the Duke of Sussex, Hollyoaks and former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, and Fiona Wightman – the ex-wife of comedian Paul Whitehouse.
MGN denies Mr Turner’s claim, arguing there is “no evidence” of voicemail interception or unlawful information gathering relating to him.
Mr Munden has told the court that Mr Turner’s case is “particularly weak”, with articles in the claim published before phone hacking started, or when it had “significantly dropped off”.
Mr Turner’s evidence is due to resume on Tuesday and the case is expected to conclude by the end of the month, with a ruling expected at a later date.
Entertainment
Richard Taylor: Academic who sued Steve Coogan over Richard III film says he hasn’t received an apology
A university academic who is receiving “substantial damages” for how he was portrayed in a film has told Sky News he hasn’t received an apology from star Steve Coogan – nor the two companies involved in its production.
Richard Taylor said he was “shell-shocked” after seeing The Lost King for the first time, a film about how Richard III’s skeleton was discovered below a car park in Leicester.
He told The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee: “I wasn’t consulted or even knew I was in the film. The first I hear is I get a phone call while I’m on holiday – and eventually, after press previews, I persuade the producers to let me see a preview.”
Richard III
Last year, a judge ruled that Mr Taylor was depicted as “smug, unruly dismissive and patronising” – with the plot suggesting he “knowingly” misled the public.
“I’m portrayed by someone on screen who looks like me, who sounds like me, who dresses like me – but behaves in a way that falls so far short of the standards I set for myself and what others might reasonably expect of me,” the academic explained.
Mr Taylor revealed he received emails at work telling him to “rot in hell”, while others described him as a “disgrace”.
He added: “Something that was a collaborative effort that showcased the best of British universities in my view was turned into this farce – where I was the villain and portrayed in a way that was completely inconsistent with the reality and the truth.”
Now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, Mr Taylor said “none of the facts” in the 2022 film were ever checked – and the Alan Partridge star, his company Baby Cow and Pathe Productions did not reach out to him before its release.
“The producers just went ahead, filmed it, produced it, stuck it out there and left me to deal with all the flack and all the fallout from it. Grossly unfair and I feel vindicated from the result we’ve achieved,” he told Sky News.
Steve Coogan and two production companies have agreed to pay ‘substantial damages’. Pic: PA
‘The film’s going to look pretty silly’
As part of the settlement, an on-screen clarification will now be added to the start of the film, but no scenes will be removed.
When asked whether he was satisfied with this outcome, Mr Taylor replied: “I’d have liked them to re-edit the film, but one’s got to be realistic about what one can achieve.
“The insertion of the card will say that the person on screen is a fictitious portrayal – and the real Richard Taylor didn’t behave like that … so the film’s going to look pretty silly.”
Read more UK news:
Community plagued by 25,000 tonnes of illegal waste
What tax rises could be announced in the budget?
The statue of Richard III outside Leicester Cathedral. Pic: Shropshire Matt/PA
The case was due to proceed to trial, but a High Court hearing on Monday heard that the parties had settled the claim.
In a statement afterwards, Coogan had said: “If it wasn’t for Philippa Langley, Richard III would still be lying under a car park in Leicester. It is her name that will be remembered in relation to the discovery of the lost king, long after Richard Taylor has faded into obscurity.”
He went on to add: “That is the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did.”
Reacting to the statement, Mr Taylor argued “it’s a pretty strange definition of happy when you’ve had to settle a defamation claim for seven figures in costs”.
He said: “Steve is never anything other than certain in himself and of his own position, but I think he’s got it wrong – basic facts were not checked.”
Prunella Scales, best known for her role as Sybil in Fawlty Towers, has died aged 93, her family has said.
Prunella Scales was watching the sitcom the day before she died, her sons Samuel and Joseph West said.
They said in a statement to the PA news agency: “Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday.”
Her seven-decade acting career saw her in multiple roles from the 1950s, including in 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines, before featuring as the wife of John Cleese’s character Basil Fawlty, in two series of Fawlty Towers in 1975 and 1979.
Prunella Scales, pictured in 2017, has died at the age of 93. File pic: PA
The family statement added: “She was 93. Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home. She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.
“Pru was married to Timothy West for 61 years. He died in November 2024.
“She is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
“We would like to thank all those who gave Pru such wonderful care at the end of her life: her last days were comfortable, contented and surrounded by love.”
Prunella Scales was married to fellow actor Timothy West for 61 years before his death in November 2024. Pic: Geoff Pugh/Shutterstock
Prunella Scales was one of the most successful and popular comedy actresses of her generation – achieving worldwide fame and recognition as Sybil, the long-suffering wife of Basil Fawlty in the sitcom Fawlty Towers.
Her performances, alongside John Cleese, are often regarded as arguably some of TV’s funniest comedy moments ever.
The sitcom, set in a hotel in the seaside resort of Torquay, continues to be broadcast. It was developed into a theatre production that moved to London’s West End in 2024.
Prunella Scales (left), pictured here in 1979 as Sybil, alongside John Cleese (back centre) who played Basil Fawlty. Pic: Eugene Adebari/Shutterstock
But although she was regularly cast in comic roles, alongside comedy giants like Richard Briers and Ronnie Barker, her abilities ranged far more widely than that.
‘National treasure’ and ‘British icon’
Jon Petrie, director of comedy at the BBC which broadcast Fawlty Towers, described her as a “national treasure whose brilliance as Sybil Fawlty lit up screens and still makes us laugh today”.
Meanwhile, Corinne Mills, for Alzheimer’s Society, called her a “a true British icon” and praised her for “shining an important light on the UK’s biggest killer”.
Seven-decade acting career
Prunella Margaret Rumney Illingworth, who was born on 22 June 1932, had a seven-decade acting career.
Her career break came with the early 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines, starring opposite Richard Briers. Scales also played Queen Elizabeth II in the British film A Question Of Attribution, and in 1973, Scales teamed up with Ronnie Barker in the series called Seven Of One.
In 2006, she appeared alongside Academy Award winners Vanessa Redgrave and Maximilian Schell in the mini-series The Shell Seekers.
Scales married West in 1963, and had two sons; the elder being the actor and director Samuel West, and a stepdaughter, Juliet.
Prunella Scales, seen with husband Timothy West in 2024, was living with dementia. Pic: PA
Dementia caused her ‘gradual disappearance’
In January 2013, she revealed her short-term memory was fading and a year later her husband confirmed that Scales was living with dementia.
West told Piers Morgan’s Life Stories: “The sad thing is that you just watch the gradual disappearance of the person that you knew and loved and were very close to.
“When we’ve been to a concert, or a play, or a film, there’s nothing very much we can say about it afterwards because Pru will have a fairly hazy memory.”
The couple appeared together in 10 series of the TV series Great Canal Journeys until Scales’ dementia reportedly progressed to the point where they had to stop in 2020.
The pair appeared in several more specials, where they looked back at their travels.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Entertainment
Steve Coogan ‘proud’ of Richard III film as he agrees to pay ‘substantial damages’ in libel case
Steve Coogan says he is “proud” of his film about the discovery of Richard III’s remains after he and two production companies agreed to pay “substantial damages” to a university academic.
The Alan Partridge star, his firm Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions have settled a libel claim over how Richard Taylor was portrayed in the 2022 movie The Lost King after he sued them.
Coogan, who co-wrote the screenplay and also starred in the film, said The Lost King was “the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did” following the settlement in the High Court on Monday.
The movie tells of how Philippa Langley led the search for the king’s skeleton.
Richard Taylor outside the High Court. Pic: PA
The lost remains of the Plantagenet monarch, who ruled England between June 1483 and August 1485, were discovered in a Leicester car park in August 2012, more than 500 years after his death.
In June last year, Judge Jaron Lewis ruled that the film portrayed Mr Taylor, who was deputy registrar at the University of Leicester at the time of the discovery, as “knowingly misrepresented facts [about the find] to the media and the public”.
Mr Taylor was also shown to be “smug, unduly dismissive and patronising”, which had a defamatory meaning, the judge said.
The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Mr Taylor, who is now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, told a hearing at the High Court on Monday that the parties had settled the claim.
Richard III reigned from 1483 to 1485. Pic: PA
Depiction caused serious harm – lawyer
His barrister, William Bennett KC, said Mr Taylor felt “the depiction of him in this untrue way in the film caused serious harm to his professional and personal reputations and caused enormous distress and embarrassment to him”.
“The defendants have now settled Mr Taylor’s claim in the libel against them for the publication of the film by paying him substantial damages.
“Furthermore, they have agreed to make changes to the film in order to withdraw the allegations complained of and to pay him his legal costs.”
The University of Leicester played a “crucial role in providing funds and academic expertise” for the project to find the remains, with Mr Taylor the “key co-ordinator of the university’s involvement”, Mr Bennett said.
A statue of Richard III outside Leicester Cathedral. Pic: Shropshire Matt/PA
On-screen clarification to be added to start of film
Coogan, and the production companies were not represented and did not attend but in a joint statement following the hearing, they said they were “incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled”.
An on-screen clarification will be added to the start of the film, saying the portrayal of Mr Taylor in the film is “fictional and does not represent the actions of the real Mr Taylor”, who “acted with integrity during the events portrayed”.
In a separate statement, Coogan said Philippa Langley “instigated the search for Richard III. Philippa Langley insisted on the dig in the northern area of the social services car park where the remains were found. Philippa Langley raised the majority of the money for his exhumation”.
“If it wasn’t for Philippa Langley, Richard III would still be lying under a car park in Leicester. It is her name that will be remembered in relation to the discovery of the lost king, long after Richard Taylor has faded into obscurity.
“The only changes to the film will be a front card, which will follow the existing card, which says that this film is a true story, Philippa Langley’s story. That is the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did.”
Read more on Sky News:
Romanian grooming gang jailed
24 hours in Ukraine’s kill zone
President re-elected aged 92
Mr Taylor said that he felt “cross” and “completely helpless” when the film was released, but the outcome represented “success and vindication” after “a long and gruelling battle”.
He said: “There have been moments over the last three years when I thought, when Philippa Langley approached me for the university’s support, I perhaps should have put the request in the bin, but I didn’t, and I think I was right not to do that.”
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024