Scobie, a journalist who had previously worked at Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) as part of his work experience, revealed to the court that he had become aware of "immoral" phone hacking practices during his time there.
Taking the witness stand on Monday, Meghan's friend testified in the seven-week-long trial that involved the unlawful acquisition of information from notable figures, including Prince Harry. Scobie asserted that he had never personally listened to private voicemails.
While Scobie is regarded as a friend of Meghan, he clarified in court that he does not have a personal relationship with either Prince Harry or Meghan. In response to being questioned about a potential "vested interest" in portraying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex favorably to advance his career, the author stated that he had never socialized with Prince Harry.
Scobie emphasized, "I don't have a close relationship [with the Duke and Duchess] personally," when challenged by Green, the opposing counsel, regarding his mention of a "close relationship" in his witness statement. He added, "It's got to the point that when I get press releases from Harry and Meghan's people, I wait for other people to post it first so I don't have to deal with the Daily Mail articles saying that it came from me."
Regarding the treatment of the Sussexes in their biography, "Finding Freedom," Scobie acknowledged that it could be considered favorable. However, when asked if his sympathies lie with the couple, he denied it, stating, "Not necessarily. I think I've had, especially earlier on, deeper insights and access to sources that others haven't." He further clarified that he had obtained information not solely from palace aides and sources.
Scobie reiterated, "I don't know the Duke on that level, I don't have his phone number, I've never socialized with him before," underscoring the potential difficulties his testimony might pose for him. He expressed his concern about being labeled as the couple's "mouthpiece" or "cheerleader" by other news outlets, stating, "What I'm doing here today is actually making my life more difficult."
