CPS to take no further action against News UK or Piers Morgan as phone hacking investigation concludes
Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers and Piers Morgan will not face any corporate charges over alleged phone hacking after prosecutors brought the lengthy investigation to an end.
Director of public prosecutors, Alison Saunders, said there was "insufficient evidence" for corporate liability charges and announced that “no further action will be taken against the group or the individuals involved".
Piers Morgan, editor of the Daily Mirror at the time of the alleged phone hacking, was one of the 10 individuals at the Mirror Group Newspapers who will face no further action.
Morgan triumphantly announced the news on Twitter.
I've today been informed by CPS that no further action will be taken against me re Met Police phone hacking investigation. mf
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 11, 2015
As I’ve said since the investigation began four years ago, I’ve never hacked a phone and nor have I ever told anybody to hack a phone. mf — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 11, 2015In the announcement of the decision, Saunders, said: “After a thorough analysis, we have decided there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction and therefore no further action will be taken in any of these cases.”
She added: “There has been considerable public concern about phone hacking and invasion of privacy.
"Over the past three years, we have brought 12 prosecutions and secured nine convictions for these serious offences.
"These decisions bring the CPS’s involvement in current investigations into phone hacking to a close.”