Library: Piers Morgan

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has accused Prince Harry of ”repeatedly trashing his family in public for hundreds of millions of dollars”.

An angry Mr Morgan added:

“Prince Harry’s outrage at media intrusion into the private lives of the Royal family is only matched by his own ruthless, greedy, and hypocritical enthusiasm for doing it himself.

“He demands accountability for the press but refuses to accept any for himself for smearing the Royal family, his own family, as a bunch of callous racists without producing a shred of proof to support those disgraceful claims.

“He also says he’s on a mission to reform the media, when it’s become clear his real mission, along with his wife, is to destroy the British monarchy.”

The broadcaster added:

“I wasn’t called as a witness – this is important for people to know this – by either side in the case, nor was I asked to provide any statement.

“I would have very happily agreed to do either or both of those things had I been asked.

“Nor did I have a single conversation with any of the Mirror Group lawyers throughout the entire legal process.”

Morgan’s ire followed a High Court ruling that dragged the newsman firmly into the heart of the swirling mess of phone hacking.

Prince Harry now wants the Metropolitan Police to investigate phone hacking at the Daily Mirror and its sister newspapers.

Prince Harry and lawyer David Sherborne

On Friday the High Court found in the Duke’s favour that Mirror Group Newspapers hacked his phone – or used other means – on at least 15 occasions.

He accused the Daily Mirror editor at the time [Morgan] of being involved, or aware, of illegal activities in his newsroom.

Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages.

Outside London’s High Court his lawyer David Sherbourne read a statement on behalf of the Prince.

He said:

“I respectfully call upon the authorities, the financial regulator, the stock market who were deliberately deceived by Mirror Group, and indeed the Metropolitan Police and prosecuting authorities, to do their duty for the British public and to investigate bringing charges against the company and those who have broken the law.

“Today’s ruling is vindicating and affirming.

“I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned, but in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay.

“The mission continues.”

Mr Justice Fancourt said he was awarding damages to the Duke where “phone hacking” was proved.

He added: “He is compensated for the distress that he suffered as a result of the unlawful activity directed at him and those close to him.

“Mirror Group only played a small part in everything that the Duke suffered and the award of damages on this ground is therefore modest.”

In a statement the Duke of Sussex said:

“This is a great day for truth, as well as accountability.

“The court has ruled that unlawful and criminal activities were carried out at all three Mirror Group newspaper titles, The Mirror, The Sunday Mirror and The People, on a habitual and widespread basis for over more than a decade.

“I’d like to thank my legal team for so successfully dismantling the sworn testimony of Mirror Group’s, senior executives, legal department and journalists who at least turned up to court, unlike their colleagues, who were perhaps too afraid to do so.

“This case is not just about hacking. It is about a systemic practice of unlawful and appalling behaviour, followed by cover ups and destruction of evidence, the shocking scale of which can only be revealed through these proceedings.

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

“Between them, they even went as far as lying under oath to Parliament, during the Leveson Inquiry, to the stock exchange, and to us all ever since.

“The journey to justice can be a slow and painful one. And since bringing my claim almost five years ago, defamatory stories and intimidating tactics have been deployed against me and at my family’s expense.

“And so, as I too have learned through this process, patience is in fact a virtue, especially in the face of vendetta journalism. I hope that the court’s findings will serve as a warning to all media organisations who have employed these practices, and then similarly lied about them.

“Mirror Group’s actions were so calculated and misleading that their pattern of destroying evidence and concealing their unlawful behaviour continued into the litigation itself. And as the judge has ruled, even to this day.

“I am happy to have won the case, especially given that this trial only looked at a quarter of my entire claim.

“Even on just that, it is clear, Mirror Group’s persistent attempts to suggest that my claim was, to quote their counsel, ‘fantastical’, ‘in the realm of total speculation’, and there was simply no evidence at all to suggest I was hacked, zilch, zero, nil, nada, niente, absolutely nothing.

“All of that was total nonsense and was used maliciously to attack my character and credibility.

“However, as Mirror Group intended, those hollow soundbites were blasted across front pages and across online platforms and into the next day’s morning television shows.

“The court has in fact confirmed that all four claimants were subjected to voicemail interception and unlawful information gathering. But no one would have believed that was the case, given how this trial was covered in the UK.

“My commitment to seeing this case through is based on my belief in our need and collective right to a free and honest press, and one which is properly accountable when necessary. That is what we need in Britain and across the globe.

“Anything else is poisoning the well for a profession we all depend on. The acts listed in this judgment are prime examples of what happens when the power of the press is abused.

“I respectfully call upon the authorities, the financial regulator, the stock market who were deliberately deceived by Mirror Group, and indeed the Metropolitan Police and prosecuting authorities to do their duty for the British public and to investigate bringing charges against the company and those who have broken the law. Today’s ruling is vindicating and affirming.

“I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned. But in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues.

“Thank you very much.”