ITV to Unravel Shocking Link Between News of the World Phone Hacking and Daniel Morgan Murder
David Tennant and Robert Carlyle Star in Hard-Hitting New Drama
A gripping new seven-part ITV drama is set to expose the dark, tangled links between the notorious News of the World phone hacking scandal and the long-unsolved axe murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan.
Set between 2002 and 2012, the series follows investigative journalist Nick Davies (David Tennant) as he uncovers explosive phone hacking at the heart of the infamous tabloid. Alongside him, former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook (Robert Carlyle) battles to crack open the cold case of Morgan’s brutal 1987 murder.
Written by Emmy-winning writer Jack Thorne, known for Netflix’s Adolescence, the drama promises a deep dive into media corruption and police cover-ups that rocked Britain.
Who Was Daniel Morgan? The Shocking Axe Murder That Stunned London
Daniel Morgan, co-founder of detective agency Southern Investigations, was hacked to death with an axe in a Sydenham pub car park in 1987. Despite several arrests—including business partner Jonathan Rees and ex-detective Sid Fillery—no one has ever been convicted.
The case has lurked in the shadows for over 30 years, mired by alleged corruption inside the Metropolitan Police and bungled investigations. Detective Dave Cook reopened the files in 2002, uncovering alarming layers of police corruption and cover-up attempts.
A 2021 Home Office report slammed the Met as “institutionally corrupt” in the way the Morgan case was handled, highlighting decades of failures and obfuscation.
The Explosive Link: Phone Hacking, Corruption and Crime
The murky case exploded further after the collapse of the 2011 Old Bailey trial. It emerged that Jonathan Rees had been paid £150,000 a year by News of the World for illegally sourced information on high-profile targets.
Rees, later jailed for perverting the course of justice, was deeply tied to corrupt officers who helped him hack bank accounts and confidential files. He also worked with rivals like the Daily Mirror, spying on royals and celebrities.
Even with rising evidence, the Met Police failed to properly investigate this network of corruption for over a decade, raising serious questions about police integrity.
“The Metropolitan Police’s handling of the Daniel Morgan murder case revealed shocking institutional corruption,” the Home Office declared in 2021.
What’s Next? Met Police Apologise Amid New Revelations
In a dramatic twist earlier this year, the Met Police apologised after discovering crucial, previously hidden documents locked away in a cabinet. This stunning revelation has reignited public outrage and added fuel to an already blazing scandal.
ITV and ITVX viewers should brace themselves for this explosive series, which promises to expose Britain’s darkest media secrets and police cover-ups like never before.
