Morgan issued a blistering statement outside his London address in which he insisted he never hackeda phone or instructed anyone else to intercept voicemail messages.
He also accused the Duke of not knowing the truth if it slapped him across his “California-tanned face”, and of having a “ruthless, greedy, and hypocritical enthusiasm” for intruding on the lives of his own family.
The former Daily Mirror editor said just one story found to have been obtained illegally was written under his editorship and he remained unsure as to how it was sourced, adding he would have been happy to address the High Court if asked by either side.
He said it was important that people know he was not called as a witness.
Morgan also took aim at “old foes with an axe to grind” in his statement, singling out author Omid Scobie and journalist Alastair Campbell.
Endgame author Omid Scobie appeared on This Morning in Britain last week, where he refused to apologise for naming royal racists. Photo / ITV
He claimed Scobie lied about him in his new book and in court, labelling him a “deluded fantasist”.
Morgan also criticised the judge for believing Scobie and Campbell’s evidence, calling the latter “another proven liar who spun this country into an illegal war”.
It comes after Prince Harry urged the Metropolitan Police to consider bringing charges against individuals at Mirror Group Newspapers.
The Duke accused MGN board directors, members of its legal department and senior editors – making specific reference to Morgan – of lying under oath to Parliament during the Leveson Inquiry and of deceiving the Stock Exchange.
In the ruling on Friday, Mr Justice Fancourt concluded that the Duke’s phone was probably hacked “to a modest extent” by the publisher.
Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London on Wednesday, June 7 this year. Photo / AP
The judge said there was “extensive” phone hacking at Mirror newspapers from 2006 to 2011. But he warned that the Duke’s “tendency to assume” all stories were obtained illegally was incorrect.
Graham Johnson, a former investigations editor at the Sunday Mirror, described the ruling as “a bittersweet moment” and said the Mirror Group’s reputation “has been trashed.”
Fifteen of 33 articles brought by Harry in his legal claim against the newspapers were the product of phone hacking or unlawful information gathering. He has been awarded £140,600 ($287,275) in damages.
Prince Harry revealed in court that he was motivated to sue the tabloids to protect his wife, Meghan.
In a statement made after the ruling, he said that it was a “great day for truth as well as accountability” and that “slaying dragons” is a worthwhile price to pay for a free and honest press.
