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| Piers Morgan tells Leveson: Daily Mirror did not hack phones | Piers Morgan tells Leveson: Daily Mirror did not hack phones |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has told the Leveson Inquiry he was not aware of any phone hacking taking place at the paper while he was in charge. | Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has told the Leveson Inquiry he was not aware of any phone hacking taking place at the paper while he was in charge. |
| Speaking via video link, he told the media ethics hearing: "I have no reason... to believe it was going on." | Speaking via video link, he told the media ethics hearing: "I have no reason... to believe it was going on." |
| Mr Morgan admitted hearing a recording of a message from the phone of Sir Paul McCartney's former wife but would not say who had played it to him. | Mr Morgan admitted hearing a recording of a message from the phone of Sir Paul McCartney's former wife but would not say who had played it to him. |
| He said he was not "directly involved" in the use of private investigators. | He said he was not "directly involved" in the use of private investigators. |
| Mr Morgan was the Mirror's editor between 1995 and 2004. He also edited the News of the World (NoW) between January 1994 and November 1995. | Mr Morgan was the Mirror's editor between 1995 and 2004. He also edited the News of the World (NoW) between January 1994 and November 1995. |
| He denied suggestions that phone hacking was "endemic" at the Mirror. | He denied suggestions that phone hacking was "endemic" at the Mirror. |
| "Not a single person has made a formal or legal complaint against the Daily Mirror for phone hacking," he told the inquiry. | "Not a single person has made a formal or legal complaint against the Daily Mirror for phone hacking," he told the inquiry. |
| Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, asked Mr Morgan about the recording of a voicemail message left by former Beatle Sir Paul for his then-wife Heather Mills, when the couple were suffering marriage problems. | Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, asked Mr Morgan about the recording of a voicemail message left by former Beatle Sir Paul for his then-wife Heather Mills, when the couple were suffering marriage problems. |
| Addressing the London hearing from the US, where he is a TV presenter for CNN, Mr Morgan said he had listened to a tape of Ms Mills' message but said: "I can't discuss where that tape was played or who made- it would compromise a source." | |
| Inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson said he was happy to call Ms Mills to see whether she had granted permission for the message to be listened to. | Inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson said he was happy to call Ms Mills to see whether she had granted permission for the message to be listened to. |
| Mr Morgan said: "All we know for a fact about Lady Heather Mills McCartney is that in their divorce case Paul McCartney stated as a fact that she had recorded their conversations and given them to the media." | |
| When asked if it was unethical to listen to phone messages, Morgan said: "It doesn't necessarily follow that listening to someone else talking to someone else is unethical." | When asked if it was unethical to listen to phone messages, Morgan said: "It doesn't necessarily follow that listening to someone else talking to someone else is unethical." |
| He was asked about an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office which found that 45 Mirror journalists were mentioned in the files of private investigator Steve Whittamore. | He was asked about an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office which found that 45 Mirror journalists were mentioned in the files of private investigator Steve Whittamore. |
| Mr Morgan said the use of private investigators was organised through the news or features desk and that he would not have been directly involved. | Mr Morgan said the use of private investigators was organised through the news or features desk and that he would not have been directly involved. |
| "All journalists knew they had to operate within the law. That was enshrined in their contracts of employment," he said, adding: "The average editor is probably aware of about 5% of what his journalists are up to at any given time." | "All journalists knew they had to operate within the law. That was enshrined in their contracts of employment," he said, adding: "The average editor is probably aware of about 5% of what his journalists are up to at any given time." |
| Mr Morgan also said he had never been aware of police officers being paid for information while he was at the paper. | Mr Morgan also said he had never been aware of police officers being paid for information while he was at the paper. |
| Rumour mill | Rumour mill |
| He was asked about his book The Insider: The Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade, in which he says he became aware of phone hacking in 2001. | He was asked about his book The Insider: The Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade, in which he says he became aware of phone hacking in 2001. |
| He told the inquiry: "The Fleet Street rumour mill, which is always extremely noisy and not entirely accurate, was buzzing with rumours that it spread a lot further than Clive Goodman. I do think he was made a scapegoat and, having known him at the News of The World, I felt sorry for him." | He told the inquiry: "The Fleet Street rumour mill, which is always extremely noisy and not entirely accurate, was buzzing with rumours that it spread a lot further than Clive Goodman. I do think he was made a scapegoat and, having known him at the News of The World, I felt sorry for him." |
| Mr Morgan was also questioned about his view on the issue of privacy. "I have very little sympathy with celebrities who sell their weddings for a million pounds - one of the most private days of their lives - and then expect to have privacy if they get caught having affairs," he said. | Mr Morgan was also questioned about his view on the issue of privacy. "I have very little sympathy with celebrities who sell their weddings for a million pounds - one of the most private days of their lives - and then expect to have privacy if they get caught having affairs," he said. |
| At the end of his evidence Mr Morgan said that he felt "like a rock star having an album brought out from his back catalogue about all his worst-ever hits". | At the end of his evidence Mr Morgan said that he felt "like a rock star having an album brought out from his back catalogue about all his worst-ever hits". |
| He said the inquiry was ignoring a lot of newspapers' best work, adding: "I do feel still very proud of a lot of the very good stuff that both the Mirror and the News of the World did during my tenure as editor. | He said the inquiry was ignoring a lot of newspapers' best work, adding: "I do feel still very proud of a lot of the very good stuff that both the Mirror and the News of the World did during my tenure as editor. |
| 'Card marked' | 'Card marked' |
| Earlier Steve Turner, general secretary of the British Association of Journalists, had described to the inquiry a culture of "bullying" at some newspapers. | Earlier Steve Turner, general secretary of the British Association of Journalists, had described to the inquiry a culture of "bullying" at some newspapers. |
| If people turned up at News International accompanied by a union rep they would have had their "card marked", he said. | If people turned up at News International accompanied by a union rep they would have had their "card marked", he said. |
| "I'm ashamed to be telling you this because we are supposed to be living in a free, democratic country but we are not. | "I'm ashamed to be telling you this because we are supposed to be living in a free, democratic country but we are not. |
| "We are living in a society where people are wage slaves and treated very badly and that's the circumstance I found at the News of the World." | "We are living in a society where people are wage slaves and treated very badly and that's the circumstance I found at the News of the World." |
| Former News of the World TV editor Sharron Marshall told the inquiry there were some managers who were not ideal and there could be dispute over the way a story was handled. | Former News of the World TV editor Sharron Marshall told the inquiry there were some managers who were not ideal and there could be dispute over the way a story was handled. |
| But she added: "I wouldn't say there's a culture of bullying... maybe you have a disagreement about how story is (done)." | But she added: "I wouldn't say there's a culture of bullying... maybe you have a disagreement about how story is (done)." |
| Tuesday's hearing had begun with Julian Pike, partner at a law firm used by NoW owner News International, being recalled to the inquiry to explain how he knew actress Sienna Miller was going to make a claim against the now-defunct newspaper before it became public. | Tuesday's hearing had begun with Julian Pike, partner at a law firm used by NoW owner News International, being recalled to the inquiry to explain how he knew actress Sienna Miller was going to make a claim against the now-defunct newspaper before it became public. |
| He supplied the inquiry with emails from various parties involved and a letter from the Metropolitan Police relating to the matter. | He supplied the inquiry with emails from various parties involved and a letter from the Metropolitan Police relating to the matter. |