View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

City Slickers ‘killer email’ an ‘urban myth’, says Trinity

By PA Media Lawyer

A “killer email” showed that former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan knew two of his journalists were engaged in stock market manipulation, the Leveson Inquiry heard.

David Seymour, former Mirror Group political editor, claimed the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was shown the message but failed to act on it.

However lawyers for Trinity Mirror, which publishes the Daily Mirror, described the email as an “urban myth” and said it was never found despite a thorough investigation.

In 2006 financial journalist James Hipwell was jailed for six months and his colleague Anil Bhoyrul was sentenced to 180 hours community service for using the Daily Mirror’s City Slickers column to ramp shares in a “tip, buy and sell” scam that netted them thousands of pounds.

Morgan, the then-editor, also made money from shares but was cleared of wrongdoing by a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) investigation as well as the paper’s own internal inquiry.

Seymour said in a written statement to the Leveson Inquiry published today: “There was, in my view, a ‘killer’ email showing conclusively that the editor knew what was going on.

“This was given to the PCC as part of the evidence handed over yet still it did nothing. A shameful failure of responsibility and duty.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Trinity Mirror’s solicitors Herbert Smith responded in a letter to the inquiry: “Trinity Mirror informs us that the existence of such an email was an ‘urban myth’ during the City Slickers saga.

“No such email was ever found despite a thorough investigation by the DTI – which included, inter alia, the seizure of a number of personal computer hard drives including those of Messrs Morgan, Hipwell and Bhoyrul.”

Seymour also said he had no personal knowledge of phone hacking but Morgan had referred to the practice.

He said in his statement: “All I ever heard about it at the Mirror came from the mouth of Piers Morgan, a notoriously unreliable and boastful source.

“In fact, I have reason to believe that one example of phone hacking which he claimed to have been involved in was nothing to do with him or the Daily Mirror.”

Herbert Smith said Seymour’s witness statement was “not credible” and that “very little weight” should be placed on what he said.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network