The private investigator at the centre of News of the World phone hacking allegations apologised last night for any hurt he had caused. Glenn Mulcaire claimed that there was a “constant demand for results”. He said: “I want to apologise to anybody who was hurt or upset by what I have done.”
Mulcaire, who in 2007 was given a jail term for plotting to hack into royal aides’ telephone messages, issued the statement after allegations emerged that he accessed the voicemail of Milly Dowler.
Mulcaire said he had never intended to interfere with any police inquiry. He added: “I’ve been to court. I’ve pleaded guilty. And I’ve gone to prison and been punished. I still face the possibility of further criminal prosecution.
“A lot of information I obtained was tittle-tattle, of no great importance to anyone, but sometimes what I did was for what I thought was the greater good, to carry out investigative journalism. I never had any intention of interfering with any police inquiry.”
The use of private detectives by journalists was highlighted in 2006 by Richard Thomas, then the Information Commissioner. He reported on the “widespread and organised undercover market”. Details for sale included bank accounts, ex-directory numbers and health records.
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One private investigator, Steve Whittamore, had been used by 305 journalists from 32 publications. The list of customers was topped by the tabloids: the Daily Mail, Sunday People, The People, Daily Mirror, The Mail on Sunday, News of the World and Sunday Mirror. But The Observer was also a key customer and a former Times reporter used him twice.