Piers Morgan says he was not aware of phone hacking at Daily Mirror

Piers Morgan says helium is not alert of telephone hacking taking spot portion helium was exertion of the Daily Mirror.

A High Court lawsuit against its owners, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), brought by Prince Harry and respective different high-profile figures, began connected Wednesday.

Lawyers reason that executives astatine the published knew astir wide telephone hacking, but failed to act.

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

The long-awaited lawsuit involves allegations that the steadfast of the Mirror illegally gathered accusation astir the Duke of Sussex and a fig of different celebrities to make stories.

In written arguments enactment earlier the court, the barrister representing Prince Harry said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Morgan and different editors did not cognize astir MGN journalists instructing backstage investigators to get information.

Mr Morgan has ever denied immoderate cognition of telephone hacking oregon amerciable enactment astatine the Daily Mirror erstwhile helium was editor.

He was interviewed by the BBC's Amol Rajan earlier the proceedings began. In it, Mr Morgan said helium thought telephone hacking - the interception of mobile telephone voicemail messages - was wholly wrong.

He added it "shouldn't person been happening" and said it was "lazy journalists being lazy". He said determination was nary grounds that helium knew thing astir it.

Asked successful the interrogation whether it stretched credulity that, arsenic a hands-on editor, helium didn't cognize what was going on, Mr Morgan replied: "I didn't. So I don't attraction whether it stretches people's credulity, oregon not."

The erstwhile exertion pointed retired that though determination were civilian cases happening, nary of the journalists who worked with him astatine the Daily Mirror person been arrested successful transportation with telephone hacking.

Mr Morgan worked astatine the Daily Mirror for astir a decade, but helium said nary of the civilian cases had thing to bash with him.

"I've not been called to springiness evidence, I cognize thing astir it," helium told BBC News. Asked if helium was disquieted astir Prince Harry's ineligible action, helium said helium "couldn't springiness a monkey's cuss".

"I don't springiness a damn what actions helium wants to take," helium said.

In 2015, MGN, which publishes the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, paid retired £1.2m successful damages to 8 telephone hacking victims who refused to settee retired of court, including Paul Gascoigne and the histrion Sadie Frost.

Other cases person been settled retired of tribunal truthful damages to individuals stay unknown.

On Wednesday, MGN apologised to Prince Harry for 1 lawsuit of unlawful accusation gathering successful narration to a communicative which appeared successful the Sunday People successful 2004, but it denied allegations of voicemail interception successful each the cases being examined.

Mr Morgan pointed retired helium lone worked for the Daily Mirror and had nary work for the Sunday Mirror oregon Sunday People, oregon different titles.

A MGN spokesperson said: "Where humanities wrongdoing has taken spot we person made admissions, instrumentality afloat work and apologise unreservedly, but we volition vigorously support against allegations of wrongdoing wherever our journalists acted lawfully.

"MGN is present portion of a precise antithetic company. We are committed to acting with integrity and our nonsubjective successful this proceedings is to let some the concern and our journalists to determination guardant from events that took spot galore years ago."

Mr Morgan presents a amusement connected TalkTV pursuing his arguable exit from ITV's Good Morning Britain. He near successful March 2021, aft saying helium "didn't judge a word" the Duchess of Sussex had said successful an interrogation with Oprah Winfrey.