Piers Morgan issued a defiant statement outside his London home addressing the ruling in Prince Harry's phone hacking case.
He asserted that he was aware of potentially unlawfully gathered information during his time as editor of the Daily Mirror but claimed no knowledge of how it was obtained. Morgan vehemently denied any involvement in phone hacking, stating that no evidence had been presented to support the allegations against him.
He also questioned why he wasn't called as a witness in the trial initiated by Prince Harry against mirror group newspapers. In his statement, Morgan criticized certain witnesses, including Omid Scobie and Alastair Campbell, labeling them as liars. He further criticized lawyers for not challenging claims made about his editorship during the trial.
Morgan dedicated a significant portion of his statement to condemn Prince Harry for criticizing the royal family, accusing him of exhibiting ruthless, greedy, and hypocritical behavior. He expressed disbelief at Prince Harry's outrage over media intrusion into the private lives of the royal family, considering his own enthusiastic engagement in similar actions. Morgan deemed Prince Harry's behavior as appalling.
Meanwhile, in his official statement following the phone hacking trial victory, Prince Harry seemingly took a subtle swipe at his estranged father, King Charles. After being awarded £140,000 in damages, Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, relayed the statement on his behalf. Prince Harry described the ruling as vindicating and affirming, emphasizing the importance of a free and honest press.
The notable part of his statement caught public attention, with some interpreting it as a shade aimed at the 75-year-old Monarch. Prince Harry recounted a conversation with his father, who allegedly referred to the phone hacking trial as a suicide mission during the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021. Despite the ongoing challenges, Prince Harry asserted that pursuing the lawsuit was worth it, intending to prove the press wrong and address matters of public interest.
