HEATHER MILLS TESTIFIES ABOUT PHONE HACKING

Heather Mills, the former model who was once married to Paul McCartney, testified forcefully on Thursday (9 FEB. 2012) that there was no doubt her phone had been hacked by a UK journalist.

Speaking before a judge-led inquiry into British media ethics, Mills said dozens of messages between her and the former Beatle were intercepted by a journalist working for British newspaper group Trinity Mirror.

She said the incident happened after a fight she and McCartney had had in January 2001, when McCartney, then her boyfriend, bombarded her with phone calls.

The messages left for Mills by McCartney are at the centre of the allegations against CNN star interviewer Piers Morgan, who is a former editor of the Daily Mirror tabloid.

She recalled that there were "about 25 messages" asking for forgiveness and that McCartney had even sang on one of the messages.

She said she found it strange that the messages were listed as having been listened to even before she had accessed them, but said she didn't realise what had happened until the journalist, unnamed for legal reasons, called her up and confronted her with details.

"I said: 'there's no way that you could know that unless you have been listening to my messages', and he laughed," she told the inquiry.

The lawyer assisting the inquiry was quick to point out that the journalist involved was not a Daily Mirror journalist or working under the supervision of Morgan at the time.

However in 2006, Morgan wrote that he had once been played an apologetic message left by McCartney for Mills, describing it in detail and noting that McCartney even sang 'We Can Work It Out' on the message.

Called before the U.K. inquiry last year, Morgan denied ordering anyone to hack a phone or writing stories based on hacked messages.

He acknowledged listening to Mill's voicemail message but stubbornly refused to say anything about how he had gotten it.

Morgan even left open the possibility that the voicemail had been played to him with Mills' approval, but Mills said Thursday that was impossible.

"Never," she said. "Never ever."

Mills married the popular McCartney in 2002 and had a daughter with him before they divorced in 2008.

She sought and got a substantial divorce settlement, becoming a tabloid hate figure after they separated.

She is a fierce critic of tabloid journalists in general and Morgan in particular.

Earlier the inquiry heard from the founder of photo agency 'Big Pictures', Australian Darryn Lyons.

Lyons, who wrote a book entitled "Mr Paparazzi: My Life as the World's Most Outrageous Celebrity Photographer," defended his industry's employees and the practice of confronting celebrities in the street.

"I don't agree that people should be hounded up and down the street all day in any shape or form, but I do agree that people, as a part of historical.. as a part of history, should be photographed in public places - absolutely and I'm adamant about it. We have free press and a free press should be able to work in public places," he said.

The Leveson inquiry was set up in the wake of Britain's tabloid phone-hacking scandal, which shocked the country with revelations that journalists at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World routinely eavesdropped on the private communications of those in the public eye.

Several journalists have been arrested, top media executives have resigned, and Murdoch closed the 168-year-old tabloid in July.

1. Wide of former model Heather Mills being called to give evidence and walking to the stand

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Heather Mills, former model and ex-wife of musician Paul McCartney:

"And he (journalist unnamed for legal reasons) said: 'Look Heather you know we've heard that you and Paul had an argument and I've just heard a message of him singing on the phone to you asking for forgiveness' and I said: 'There is no way that you could know that unless you've been listening to my messages' and he laughed. And I said: 'I promise you if you report this story, even though it's true, you've obtained the information illegally and I will do something about it'. And he never reported the story."

3. Wide of inquiry room

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Heather Mills/Former Model and Ex-Wife of musician Paul McCartney:

(Robert Jay/Lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry: Did you authorise Mr (Piers) Morgan to access your voicemail?)

"Never."

(Robert Jay/Lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry: Did you authorise Mr Morgan to listen to your voicemails?)

"Never ever."

(Robert Jay/Lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry: And have you ever played to Mr Morgan or authorised him to listen to a recording of this or any other voicemail left on your messaging system?)

"Never, never."

(Lord Justice Brian Leveson/Chair of the Inquiry: If we need to go one stage further have you ever done that in relation to anybody?)

"No."

5. Wide of inquiry room

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Darryn Lyons/Founder of "Big Pictures" photo agency

"I don't agree that people should be hounded up and down the street all day in any shape or form, but I do agree that people, as a part of historical.. as a part of history, should be photographed in public places - absolutely and I'm adamant about it. We have free press and a free press should be able to work in public places."

7. Wide of inquiry room

SHOTLIST

1. Wide of former model Heather Mills being called to give evidence and walking to the stand

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Heather Mills, former model and ex-wife of musician Paul McCartney:

"And he (journalist unnamed for legal reasons) said: 'look Heather you know we've heard that you and Paul had an argument and I've just heard a message of him singing on the phone to you asking for forgiveness' and I said: 'there is no way that you could know that unless you've been listening to my messages' and he laughed. And I said: 'I promise you if you report this story, even though it's true, you've obtained the information illegally and I will do something about it'. And he never reported the story."

3. Wide of inquiry room

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Heather Mills, former model and ex-wife of musician Paul McCartney:

(Robert Jay, Lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry: Did you authorise Mr (Piers) Morgan to access your voicemail?)

"Never."

(Robert Jay, Lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry: Did you authorise Mr Morgan to listen to your voicemails?)

"Never ever."

(Robert Jay, Lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry: And have you ever played to Mr Morgan or authorised him to listen to a recording of this or any other voicemail left on your messaging system?)

"Never, never."

(Lord Justice Brian Leveson, Chair of the Inquiry: If we need to go one stage further have you ever done that in relation to anybody?)

"No."

5. Wide of inquiry room

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Darryn Lyons, founder of photo agency 'Big Pictures':

"I don't agree that people should be hounded up and down the street all day in any shape or form, but I do agree that people, as a part of historical.. as a part of history, should be photographed in public places - absolutely and I'm adamant about it. We have free press and a free press should be able to work in public places."

7. Wide of inquiry room

STORYLINE:

Heather Mills, the former model who was once married to Paul McCartney, testified forcefully on Thursday that there was no doubt her phone had been hacked by a UK journalist.

Speaking before a judge-led inquiry into British media ethics, Mills said dozens of messages between her and the former Beatle were intercepted by a journalist working for British newspaper group Trinity Mirror.

She said the incident happened after a fight she and McCartney had had in January 2001, when McCartney, then her boyfriend, bombarded her with phone calls.

The messages left for Mills by McCartney are at the centre of the allegations against CNN star interviewer Piers Morgan, who is a former editor of the Daily Mirror tabloid.

She recalled that there were "about 25 messages" asking for forgiveness and that McCartney had even sang on one of the messages.

She said she found it strange that the messages were listed as having been listened to even before she had accessed them, but said she didn't realise what had happened until the journalist, unnamed for legal reasons, called her up and confronted her with details.

"I said: 'there's no way that you could know that unless you have been listening to my messages', and he laughed," she told the inquiry.

The lawyer assisting the inquiry was quick to point out that the journalist involved was not a Daily Mirror journalist or working under the supervision of Morgan at the time.

However in 2006, Morgan wrote that he had once been played an apologetic message left by McCartney for Mills, describing it in detail and noting that McCartney even sang 'We Can Work It Out' on the message.

Called before the U.K. inquiry last year, Morgan denied ordering anyone to hack a phone or writing stories based on hacked messages.

He acknowledged listening to Mill's voicemail message but stubbornly refused to say anything about how he had gotten it.

Morgan even left open the possibility that the voicemail had been played to him with Mills' approval, but Mills said Thursday that was impossible.

"Never," she said. "Never ever."

Mills married the popular McCartney in 2002 and had a daughter with him before they divorced in 2008.

She sought and got a substantial divorce settlement, becoming a tabloid hate figure after they separated.

She is a fierce critic of tabloid journalists in general and Morgan in particular.

Earlier the inquiry heard from the founder of photo agency 'Big Pictures', Australian Darryn Lyons.

Lyons, who wrote a book entitled "Mr Paparazzi: My Life as the World's Most Outrageous Celebrity Photographer," defended his industry's employees and the practice of confronting celebrities in the street.

"I don't agree that people should be hounded up and down the street all day in any shape or form, but I do agree that people, as a part of historical.. as a part of history, should be photographed in public places - absolutely and I'm adamant about it. We have free press and a free press should be able to work in public places," he said.

The Leveson inquiry was set up in the wake of Britain's tabloid phone-hacking scandal, which shocked the country with revelations that journalists at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World routinely eavesdropped on the private communications of those in the public eye.

Several journalists have been arrested, top media executives have resigned, and Murdoch closed the 168-year-old tabloid in July.

SHOTLIST

++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: AP TELEVISION DOES NOT HAVE RIGHTS TO THE PHOTOGRAPH AND HAS NOT INCLUDED ANY CLOSE-UPS OF IT IN THIS EDIT++

London, UK

1. Newspapers with headlines proclaiming anger against Italian magazine for showing Princess Diana's picture

2. Close-up of newspaper headline reading "Outrage at picture of dying Diana"

3. Close-up of headline reading "Dying Diana photo fury"

4. Close-up of story headline reading: "Sickening crash picture is published for the first time"

5. Tilt down Sun newspaper with headline reading: "Shame on you"

6. Pan from close-up of photo of Diana's face on newspaper to obscured photo of dying Diana

Rome

7. Wide shot of the Pantheon

8. Wide of newsstand

9. Magazines displayed for sale

10. Close-up of "Chi" people magazine with heading on front cover reading "World exclusive: the truth on Lady Diana, the last photo"

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nick (Australian) Vox pop:

"And there is a man there taking a photo of that? That's a disgrace man."

12. "Chi" magazine open at Lady Diana article with heading reading:" Lady Diana, the last photo"

13. SOUNDBITE (English): Vox pop:

"I think it's horrible, awful. They should just leave her be now. She has been dead for ten years, hasn't she?"

14. Various of "Chi" magazine held open, showing pictures of the last hours of Diana before the accident

15. SOUNDBITE (English): Canadian, Vox pop:

"I actually think the press should be allowed to film whatever they want to film. It's good to have a free press and she was a public figure. I think the people that think it's disgusting, they shouldn't buy the magazine."

16. Pan across "Chi" magazine pages showing pictures of the accident and rescue operations

17. SOUNDBITE (English): Mark (UK) Vox pop:

"She's died, it's not going to help anybody at all. There are obviously inquiries going into why it happened. But you know, I'm holding the magazine, I'm not going to open it, I don't want to see the pictures. It's not going to help anyone"

18. SOUNDBITE (English): Laura (UK) Vox pop:

"They should just let her rest in peace"

FILE Paris, 31 August 1997

19. Pan of crowd on Alma bridge to wrecked Mercedes on police truck

20. Mercedes being taken away

21. Exterior of Salpetriere hospital

FILE Japan 1995

22. Diana at children's hospital

23. Various of Diana with children and doctors

FILE Pakistan 1996

24. Various of Diana visiting child patients

24. Pan across audience to Diana, sitting with former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan and his wife Jemima, watching performance

25. Children performing

26. Diana taking a child cancer victim into her arms

27. Close up of Diana holding child patient

DIANA CRASH PICTURES CAUSE GRIEF AND ANGER

The UK's Princes William and Harry on Friday revealed their deep sadness today following the publication of a photo of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales taken moments after the car crash which killed her.

The Royal princes issued a statement strongly criticising the decision to use the image in an Italian magazine.

They said they were "deeply saddened that such a low has been reached" and added that they would have been failing in their duty to her now if they did not make moves to protect her as she once did for them.

The decision to publish the photo set off anger across Britain with tabloid newspapers leading the protests against the image.

The black-and-white photo in Milan-based Chi magazine showed the princess receiving oxygen in the wreckage of the car crash that killed her on August 31, 1997.

The picture was excerpted from "Lady Diana: The Criminal Investigation," a new book by French author Jean-Michel Caradec'h.

"Shame on you," chided The Sun, a British tabloid.

The Daily Express called the image "grotesque" and swore not to reprint it.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund said the photos were in poor taste.

The feeling was echoed by tourists in Rome.

"I think it's horrible, awful. They should just leave her be now. She has been dead for ten years, hasn't she?" said one lady visiting Rome.

UK tourists Mark and Laura agreed, saying," She's died, it's not going to help anybody at all."

However a Canadian tourist felt differently saying, "It's good to have a free press and she was a public figure. I think the people that think it's disgusting, they shouldn't buy the magazine."

Entrepreneur Mohamed al Fayed, whose son Dodi also died in the crash, called the publication "vile."

The magazine's editor Umberto Brindani, defended his action, saying that the photograph was "touching" and "tender," but not offensive.

The Princess of Wales died in a car accident in Paris on 31 August 1997.

Diana, 36, her companion Dodi Fayed, 42, and their driver, Henri Paul, were killed when the car crashed into a pillar in an underpass.