Ex-Daily Star journalist 'ashamed' over death story

Journalist Richard Peppiatt has issued an apology about the Daily Star's coverage of the death of Kevin McGee (who he referred to as Luke), the ex-partner of Little Britain comic Matt Lucas.

Peppiatt told the Leveson Inquiry about how he wrote up a story about McGee's suicide, based purely on a call from an anonymous source.

He said: "Certainly there was a (feeling) if he is dead, you can't libel the dead … you can say pretty much what you like about him because he is dead."

Peppiatt added: "I accept responsibility that nobody held a gun to my head and made me write that story. I feel very ashamed."