Piers Morgan 'injected' information into Prince Harry stories

A erstwhile Daily Mirror royal exertion said her erstwhile brag Piers Morgan would "inject" accusation into her stories without explaining wherever it was from.

Jane Kerr was giving grounds successful Prince Harry's hacking lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

He claims the papers unlawfully obtained backstage accusation astir him, which MGN denies.

Ms Kerr, who worked for the Daily Mirror's royal squad from 1996 and 2007, told the High Court that Mr Morgan would adhd snippets of accusation into stories she had authored.

She said helium mightiness person been speaking to "someone astatine the palace" but she would not cognize who.

Ms Kerr added that Mr Morgan, who was exertion of the insubstantial from 1995 to 2004, took a "really genuine interest" successful the coverage.

In her written witnesser statement, Ms Kerr said helium "engaged with the Palace property offices and would occasionally nonstop oregon inject accusation into a story".

Prince Harry alleges astir 140 articles published betwixt 1996 and 2010 by MGN - the steadfast of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People - contained accusation gathered utilizing unlawful methods.

A illustration of 33 stories are being scrutinised during this case, a fig of which were written by Ms Kerr.

She was asked astir a communicative reporting that a young Prince Harry had taken drugs astatine parties, which included reports that Prince Charles had been "hugely relieved" to person been told his lad had lone utilized cannabis "spliffs".

Prince Harry's barrister, David Sherborne, enactment it to her that this was backstage accusation which could person been obtained from listening to voicemail messages, asking: "Where did you get the quotes from Ms Kerr?"

She replied: "I can't accidental for definite wherever I got them from, I can't retrieve - it's imaginable Piers gave them to me, it's imaginable the Palace. I don't remember."

Mr Sherborne responded: "You're saying the Palace would person fixed you what Prince Charles said successful highly delicate meetings with his son?"

She repeatedly said that she could not retrieve the sources of stories published decades ago.

The questioning has focused connected further details added by Ms Kerr portion pursuing up connected stories already successful different papers.

In March 2002, she wrote astir Prince Harry catching glandular fever, reporting that "Harry's friends and William person teased him astir the unwellness due to the fact that it is dispersed done saliva, usually by kissing".

The prince told the tribunal during his grounds that these suggestions were upsetting and embarrassing astatine the clip arsenic helium was inactive astatine school.

Ms Kerr told the tribunal she could person got the accusation from the Palace, contempt the media having been told during this play that Prince Harry and Prince William were "off-limits" to reporters successful the aftermath of the decease of Princess Diana.

"You're suggesting immoderate Palace spokesperson would person casually tossed it to you arsenic a small morsel to adhd colour to your story?" Mr Sherborne asked.

When she said she did not cognize wherever it had travel from and could easy person been a "throwaway line", Mr Sherborne said: "That's full speculation, isn't it?"

Jane Kerr said she could not retrieve the details but would not person got it done immoderate amerciable means.

Mr Sherborne asked: "Or was this thing Mr Morgan injected into the article?"

"Possibly but I conscionable don't know," Ms Kerr replied.

Speaking to othe BBC up of the trial, Mr Morgan said: "I've ne'er hacked a phone. I've ne'er told anybody to hack a phone."

He has poured scorn connected Prince Harry's determination to spell to court, telling reporters: "I privation him luck with his privateness run and look guardant to speechmaking astir it successful his adjacent book."

Ms Kerr's grounds follows a day-and-a-half of Prince Harry's stint connected the stand, the archetypal clip a elder royal has fixed grounds successful tribunal for much than 130 years.

He claims that telephone hacking was happening connected an "industrial scale" astatine MGN papers, and says amerciable methods were utilized to stitchery accusation connected him, including connected highly backstage matters.

The lawsuit is owed to perceive from the different claimants progressive alongside the prince - Coronation Street actors Michael Turner, known professionally arsenic Michael Le Vell, Nikki Sanderson and Fiona Wightman, the ex-wife of comedian Paul Whitehouse.

They each allege unlawful methods were utilized to get accusation for stories and accidental elder executives indispensable person known astir it and failed to halt it, which MGN denies.

The steadfast has either denied oregon not admitted each of the claims. MGN besides argues that immoderate of the claimants person brought their ineligible enactment excessively late.

Additional reporting by Sean Seddon