Scandalous: Phone Hacking on Trial aired on BBC Two last night (June 15), following several celebrities, politicians and other public figures who are fighting against alleged phone hacking by some of Britain’s biggest newspapers.
The documentary aired as Prince Harry, alongside other complainants, sue the Mirror Group over historic phone hacking claims. It’s claimed many famous faces found their information being leaked via their mobile phone voice messages.
Celebs such as Sir Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills, Hugh Grant and the mother of Clare Bernal, who was killed by her stalker in 2005, were featured in the documentary to speak about their experiences of alleged phone hacking. Journalists at The Sun and Mirror Group also featured in the documentary, where many denied involvement in phone hacking.
Former journalist admitted to phone hacking
Dan Evans, a former journalist at the Sunday Mirror received a sentence for phone hacking in 2014. Dan spoke in the documentary, alleging his former workplace taught him how to hack phones. Speaking in the documentary, he said: “At the height of it, I was hacking 100, 150 people a day maybe. People like Kate Moss, Daniel Craig, David Blunkett, who was the Home Secretary at the time. Lots of celebrities, sports people. Sometimes their nearest and dearest. Sometimes their mistresses.”
Dan admitted he felt “power” at the time to know things no one else knew. Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati spoke about her experience with phone hacking – and Dan also confessed he was responsible for hacking her phone. He said: “I was the tool used to steal her secrets.” The former journalist confessed he couldn’t “look my children in the eye” unless he admitted to hacking phones.
The documentary alleged that the source was often named as a “friend” or a “close source” which tore apart relationships.
Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who famously hacked schoolgirl Millie Dowler, also spoke of his “regret”. He also claimed he was given numbers to turn around quickly without knowing who he was hacking or what had happened to them.
‘Disgusted’ viewers ‘shocked’ by documentary
Many BBC Two viewers also admitted they did not know how many were allegedly hacked and were shocked by those who continually denied they hacked phones.
One viewer wrote: “Attributing a story to an undisclosed pal or family member when an organisation obtained a story via [alleged] illegal phone hacking is disgusting, reprehensible and abysmal. They are scum. Lowlifes. Send them all to prison. No discussion, no tolerance. It’s illegal and disgraceful.”
The lengths those hackers went to. So much pain caused.
A second person then added: “This #Scandalous Phone hacking on Trial documentary is fascinating from the point of view of the victims and highlights how despicable and shocking nature of the [alleged] phone hacking and harassment.”
Another viewer also said: “Watching the BBC2 programme about phone hacking is quite shocking. So much pain caused.” A fourth viewer also ranted: “Heartbreaking. What is awful is that none of this is surprising. I am all for a free press – NOT a criminal press.”
Read more: The shocking truth behind the phone hacking scandal, and all the celebs who claim they were hacked
Scandalous: Phone Hacking on Trial is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
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