Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 14 Apr

Monday 14 April 2014

Summary
	The Defence of Stuart Kuttner continues with Defence Witnesses
		Witness Statement for Stuart Kuttner – Joanna Elm
		Witness Statement for Stuart Kuttner – Peter Kunick
	The Defence of Andy Coulson Begins
		Timothy Langdale QC presents the case for Andy Coulson
		Coulson’s career in journalism
		Appointed Director of Communications of the Conservative Party
		Coulson’s Arrest
		Coulson’s Career at the News of the World
		Private Investigators
		Coulson’s relationship with Rebekah Brooks
		The organisation and staff of the News of the World
		Coulson asked about Stuart Kuttner
		News of the World Budgets
		Nine Consultancy Costs
		Coulson Asked about Glen Mulcaire and News of the World Stories
		Coulson on Sources
		The Production Cycle

The Defence of Stuart Kuttner continues with Defence Witnesses
	Witness Statement for Stuart Kuttner – Joanna Elm
		Back at the #hackingtrial after a slight delay for legal argument.
		Before we start on Andy Coulson‘s case there are two short witness statements to be read out for Stuart Kuttner, by his junior counsel
		Mr Griffin reads out a witness statement Joanna Elm for Kuttner: an American attorney
		Elm met Kuttner in 1977 when a reporter in the London Evening news: she was sent to the US and then took up residence in New York in 1981
		Kuttner kept in touch with Elm: she talks of him spending “five decades cultivating contacts” in the highest reaches of society
		“Contacts are the lifeblood of any journalist” says Elm of Kuttner: she’s deeply saddened that Kuttner is facing this ‘ordeal”
	Witness Statement for Stuart Kuttner – Peter Kunick
		Witness statement of Peter Kunick (sp) – colonel in the Army Reserve. His wife Rosy died three years ago – she was manager of NI pensions
		Kunick first met Kuttner on the night of the millennium: his wife was ill for six years with ovarian cancer: Kuttner was a great support.
		“He is a very sound person… selfless. It is not about the moment with Stuart, but about commitment,” says Kunick
		Kunick speaks about the support from NI during his wife’s terminal illness, and how Kuttner kept in contact after her death.
The Defence of Andy Coulson Begins
	Timothy Langdale QC presents the case for Andy Coulson
		BREAKING: Timothy Langdale QC calls Andy Coulson to the witness box in the #hackingtrial
		Coulson confirms he is 46 years old: he lives in Kent with his wife Eloise and with three young sons. He has no previous convictions.
		Coulson was born and brought up in Essex: he left school at 18 with A Levels.
	Coulson’s career in journalism
		Coulson went to work on his local newspaper after leaving school: he was set to join the airforce, but got work experience on local paper
		“I tried to join the local paper when I was 16” says Coulson of falling in love with journalism and working for Basildon Evening Echo
		The jury are given new defence bundles for Coulson’s case. The first file covers his early career timeline in journalism
		In 1986 Coulson joined the Evening Echo. In 1988 he joined the Sun as freelance reporter on the Bizarre desk.
		Coulson explains he managed to get some shifts on the Sun as a freelancer – he took regular shifts which turned into a contract.
		17/07/89 Coulson was awarded a full time contract at the Sun at the age of 21. He’d written a showbiz column on his local paper the Echo
		Coulson says he passed on stories from the Echo to national papers. He briefly worked for the Mail, before returning as Bizarre editor in 94
		Coulson explains to the jury how the Bizarre column went from one page to a full spread during his editorship.
		“Film stars, TV stars, Pop stars” – Coulson explains to the hackingtrial the contents of his Bizarre column in the Sun
		Coulson had a team of people as well as his own contacts for the Bizarre column, and an “industry of people” in Showbiz PR
		Coulson explains the importance of contacts: “the most important thing for any journalist regardless of the area you’re working in”
		Coulson explains he’d keep in contact with stars, their PRs and entourage for his Bizarre column.
		Coulson says “for me the most important thing for me during my time at the Sun was to get the story…. and maintain the relationship”
		In 1995 Coulson was promoted to ShowBiz editor of the Sun: “all it meant was I got a little bit more money… and took over the TV desk”
		01/02/98 at the age of 30 Coulson was promoted to Associate Editor of the Sun: he stopped doing Bizarre
		“I was about to leave the newspaper – I was offered a deputy editorship of another paper… when offered job of being No 3” says Coulson
		By this point in 1998 Rebekah Brooks was deputy editor of the Sun
		In September 1999 Coulson was promoted to a new web business “Exclusive dot Com” before he joined News of the World
		Coulson explains “News Network” – NIs digital arm created in the late 90s: he was appointed to oversee all editorial online content
		Exclusive dot com was a new business devised by Coulson and Brooks “a multi platform breaking news business”: he left News Network
	Appointed Director of Communications of the Conservative Party
		Timothy Langdale QC leaps forward to Coulson’s resignation from NOTW in January 2007 – and 09/07/07 Conservative Party appointment
		Coulson was appointed director of communications in 2007: in May 2010 he was appointed the Prime Minister’s Director of Communications
		Coulson explains the job in opposition, working towards the General Election advising David Cameron and the Shadow Cabintet
		“In Government the job becomes different because you’re doing things rather than talking about things” says Coulson of his job in government
		Coulson was responsible for advising both Civil Service and the Prime Minister while in Government
	Coulson’s Arrest
		Coulson resigned in January 2011 – was arrested in July 2011 – charged in Jan 2012 with phone hacking, and November misconduct
		Coulson says he was in contact with Rupert Murdoch while editor of NOTW, and has mainly had contact since in social events.
		Coulson says while Cameron’s advisor he can only remember three meetings between David Cameron and Rupert Murdoch
		Coulson says he met Cameron for a social weekend the spring after his resignation in 2011 – but hasn’t spoken to him since his arrest.
		After leaving Downing Street, Coulson worked as a “freelance consultant… relying mainly on the kindness of friends”
		Coulson adds that he’s written a small number of magazine articles since his arrest. Sold his house and moved to Kent.
		At first News International offered to pay his legal fees, but then CEO of NI said they were no longer prepared to do that.
		After civil action in the courts, NI agreed to pay Coulson’s legal fees: “I’m not sure they agreed” Coulson adds. Court action compelled
	Coulson’s Career at the News of the World
		May 2000 Coulson was appointed Deputy Editor of NOTW under editorship of Rebekah Brooks.
		Coulson explains he and Brooks were working on Exclusive dot com: but soon after pitching idea Brooks was appointed NOTW editor
		“The company made it clear they were not moving on with Exclusive dot com” says Coulson. He was offered deputy editorship by NI execs.
		Timothy Langdale QC goes to the “agreed facts” not disputed by either side at the #hackingtrial
		These ‘admissions’ give the relevant dates of Coulson’s appointments at News International.
		Langdale cites a NI corporate affairs announcement on 25/05/00 of Andy Coulson‘s appointment to deputy editor NOTW.
		Coulson talks of the transition from daily to a Sunday paper: “not as much time to think” on a daily paper.
		“It gets very busy towards the end of the week” says Coulson. “The Sun is a very different paper to NOTW” with different staff and culture
		“Perhaps on the reporting side, because you have only one paper a week, the paper holds more intrigue, secrecy perhaps” says Coulson of NOTW
		“Your contacts become even more important” says Coulson of NOTW. “It was very different to me… the degree of internal competition”
		“In NOTW it seemed to me it had become frankly destructive” says Coulson of the competition between feature and news at Sunday tabloid
		“It was a waste of people’s energy and had become counterproductive” says Coulson of internal rivalry. Both he and Brooks wanted to end it
		Langdale explains Coulson’s attempts to mitigate the “adverse effects of rivalry” at NOTW: he cites an email between NOTW editors
		Langdale cites an internal NOTW email about a (false) alleged affair of Home Secretary Charles Clarke and attempts to co-operate
		Coulson: “The NOTW had quite a high turnover of editors: there was a view among more senior members of staff that we were ‘passing through’
		Andy Coulson says that older members of staff at NOTW were ‘more distant’ think the “regime wouldn’t last long” of Coulson and Brooks.
		On journalists working in “more isolation” at NOTW Coulson says: “It made the job more difficult… at Sun people talked to each other”
		“A daily paper is less forgiving of that” says Coulson of journalistic egos. At the NOTW they were “more secretive”
		“I hope it changed at bit” says Coulson of secrecy at NOTW once he became editor.
	Private Investigators
		Langdale asks about the use of private investigators at NOTW: at Bizarre Coulson never used a PI “as far as I can remember”
		Coulson offers a caveat: some journos also PIs. He cites a Schumacher in the US: he thought was a journalist but was a private investigator
		“Not from my experience” says Coulson of “use of private investigators involving illegality”
		Coulson talks of Brooks’ management style while editor of NOTW: “she was… very supportive of her staff, worked very hard”
		‘During our time at NOTW… she was very heavily focused on the campaigning side of the paper” says Coulson of Brooks’ editorship
		“In broad terms, she felt the paper needed modernising” says Coulson of Brooks at NOTW. “A huge investment… revamp of magazine”
		“For the first time in long time the NOTW felt it was being invested in” says Coulson of early noughties.
		A new expensive football supplement was added to the Sunday paper. More Coulson’s area of expertise: “I enjoy football’ he tells jury.
		Break for lunch until 2.05 pm
		Back at the #hackingtrial after lunch break. Andy Coulson is giving his evidence in chief.
	Coulson’s relationship with Rebekah Brooks
		“Football more my pigeon than hers” was Coulson’s last line before lunch about his expertise as deputy editor of NOTW compared to Brooks.
		Timothy Langdale QC, counsel for Andy Coulson, continues going through the timeline of his client’s career at the #hackingtrial
		Langdale goes through Coulson’s working relationship with Brooks: they met in 1996 when Chris Blythe died
		Coulson explains he and Brooks became “very close” in 1998: “there was an affair that started in 1998, ended soon after”
		“It was by no means continual. There were very long periods when it was what it should have been” says Coulson of affair with Brooks
		Coulson apologises for the pain his affair caused people – especially his wife. “But I take full responsibility for it” says Coulson.
		Coulson says he and Brooks were still close when he resigned in 2007. They “exchanged confidences” more than normal co-workers.
		However, Coulson denies the relationship with Brooks did not mean they would share exclusive and sensitive stories.
		Coulson says “very rarely” would the Sun and NOTW share exclusive stories – except on occasional joint buys which “ended very badly”
		“They were papers that were in competition with each other” says Coulson of the Sun and NOTW: “there was a longstanding rivalry”
		In May 2000, when Coulson started as deputy at NOTW “I think Phil Taylor was News Editor when we arrived”
	The organisation and staff of the News of the World
		“Rebekah’s view, which I shared, was that this was not a very effective operation” says Coulson of bringing back Miskiw from NYC in 2000
		Miskiw was appointed as head of ‘Investigations Department’ in 2000: Coulson says “it failed”.
		“Greg had overall responsibility for news” says Coulson of his appointment to editor of NOTW in 2003.
		“Neville might have had the title of editor news” says Coulson of Thurlbeck in 2003: “but he was actually number two”
		Langdale takes Coulson and the jury to a August 2006 document which gives the “general organisation” of NOTW at the time
		Coulson, Kuttner, Wallis, Nicholas and other editors are mentioned in this 2006 organisational document for NOTW.
		Personnel at other NOTW departmentS are also explored in Coulson’s evidence to the #hackingtrial – several can’t be named for legal reasons
		Coulson explains the role of Alex Marunchak for Irish edition of NOTW: he’d be in London on Saturday when newspaper was subbed
		Harry Scott, who has already given evidence at #hackingtrial, cited as night editor back in 2006. Fran Goodman – Clive’s sister – chief sub
	Coulson asked about Stuart Kuttner
		Coulson talks of his “perception” of Stuart Kuttner: “incredibly experience, professional journalist”
		“Very few people have Stuart’s experience” says Coulson of Kuttner” “a very decent man”
		Though as deputy editor, Coulson was technically senior to Kuttner, he saw them “on a level… but he had no authority over editing process”
		“As a deputy, I wouldn’t get involved at all” says Coulson of Leader writing with Kuttner. But discussed 2 or 3 times a week with him
		Coulson says that occasionally, as editor of NOTW, he would write leaders, with Kuttner’s input. They’d see each other most days.
		“We didn’t keep tabs on each other” says Coulson of Kuttner: “he was a very experienced journalist.” He didn’t need guidance
	News of the World Budgets
		Langdale turns to the budget decisions Coulson had to make as an editor.
		“Primary pressure on editors is to produce a successful paper” says Coulson of declining market in newspapers.
		“There was some unspoken lee-way” says Coulson of working within budget: management expect you to “spend a little more”
		Coulson addresses the “fundamental tension” between editorial and management over advertising: most his disagreements on that.
		“Management wanted a smaller paper they could pack with what they considered to be fascinating adverts” says Coulson of tension.
		“Editorial wanted a bigger paper with fewer adverts” says Coulson.
		Coulson talks about tensions about giving away DVDs in the NOTW, and throwaway magazines
		Sales figures “absolutely more determined by promotions rather than news stories” says Coulson of NOTW circulation.
		“All sounds a bit depressing” says Justice Saunders of the impact on free DVDs. “I found it very depressing… addictive” says Coulson
		“There was absolutely no loyalty attached to it” says Coulson of readers’ understanding where they got free DVDs in Sunday papers.
		Coulson goes through the budget discussions at NOTW: an internal one with Kuttner based on “whispers down the corridor” from management
		“Me and my team would put a plan together, proactively, to ask for more money. I never remember asking for less” says Coulson of budgets
		Coulson, as Brooks and Carter before him, describes the management floor of NI as ‘deep carpet land’
		Coulson explains the annual News Corp board meeting when NOTW budget was pitched: “I always felt it had been predetermined” he says
		“NOTW was part of a bigger operation… NI, which in turn was part of News Corp. I always felt the number were predetermined” says Coulson
		“He was always present” says Coulson of Rupert Murdoch of board meetings. Murdoch would call every three weeks on average.
		Murdoch wanted the ‘bigger picture’: politics and “leaders” says Coulson of phone conversations.
		Murdoch would come to the NOTW offices “a couple of times a year”. During the annual board meeting “you’d see a lot of him that week”
		Jury shown Kuttner’s budget notes from 24/02/05 for the following financial year.
		Coulson says he “endured” rather “enjoyed” the budget process at NOTW.
		Coulson says there would have been various discussions between Kuttner, himself and other dept heads before draft budget menu drafted.
		Timothy Langdale QC explains how budgets range from “columns…. to mobile phones”
		Coulson can’t remember if he went through every item “one by one” with Kuttner during NOTW budget discussions.
		Coulson explains how NOTW created a separate listings magazine “Big on TV” when he was editor
		Coulson says there were much “bigger issues” such as the “promotions budget…. even if that didn’t sit under my control”
		“The cost of the weight of paper you print your magazine on is a vital issue” says Coulson of budget discussions.
		“This is not the budgeting process for NOTW entire” says Coulson of Kuttner’s document. “Grammage” of paper could cost £100ks
		Cutting the cost of a column such as Michael Winner’s: “others might have views, but I would have the final decision” says Coulson.
		Coulson also would have an interest in “sports retainers”, “headcount” he tells jury
	Nine Consultancy Costs
		Coulson addresses the budget item “cutting 50% of Nine Consultancy” – i.e. Mulcaire’s company
		“I have a memory of NIne Consultancy being mentioned” says Coulson of 2006 when Goodman arrested: “that the extent of my knowledge”
		“All I knew is that Nine Consultancy had been mentioned in a budget document” says Coulson of Mulcaire’s company before his 2006 arrest
		Coulson cannot remember if this mention of Nine Consultancy was in 2006 or previous years.
		BREAKING: Coulson tells #hackingtrial: “I didn’t know the name of Glenn Mulcaire until he was arrested with Clive Goodman“
		“I was told it was in effect a money saving exercise” says Coulson of his memory of first mention of Mulcaire’s Nine Consultancy.
		‘Special Inquiries’ is cited on a 2004 document for ‘big spends’ – over £300k.
		Coulson: “All I can remember is there was mention of 9 Consultancy… and that by using 9 we were reducing the number agencies were using”
		Coulson cannot remember who that conversation was with: but he says it was “likely it was Stuart” and that the position was “inherited”
		“I assumed it was… finding people, possibly surveillance” says Coulson of Mulcaire’s company.
		Coulson says he didn’t think it was in his remit to ask more questions about what Mulcaire’s company did.
		“It was not an area of the company I was particularly interested in” says Coulson of Private Investigators:
		“Finding people quickly is very important” Coulson says of competitive newspapers. “I always assumed this was function of special inquiries”
		Coulson says another inquiry agent used by NOTW, TDI “never registered with me”
		Langdale talks of Greg Miskiw’s move to Manchester in December 2003 and cut at Nine Consultancy. Coulson says he has ‘vague recollection’
		“I can’t remember if I expressed a view at all at this distance” says Coulson of proposed cuts to Mulcaire’s company, Nine Consultancy
		“Stuart make take my view… others may win the argument and convince me” says Coulson of 9 Consultancy
		“It’s his department” says Coulson of Miskiw’s autonomy: “they’re given the budget, and they decide how to spend money”
		Langdale goes through the various appearances of Nine Consultancy in draft NOTW budget docs. Coulson has no specific memories of them.
		Langdale addresses a 9th March meeting with Coulson, Kuttner, and others at NGN – Clive Milner, Camilla Rhodes – over NOTW budgets
		“They had control of the budget in broad terms” says Coulson of NGN executives. They could have asked about Nine Consultancy.
		Coulson says NGN management could have input into savings, but generally he had some autonomy: another meeting 10th March
		“I think there were weekly budget meetings, and I did the best to avoid them” says Coulson. But he did attend the pre budget meetings.
		NOTW won the first Newspaper of the Year international press awards in 2005
		12/05/05 the revised budget is drawn up by Kuttner: Nine Consultancy reinstated, same with Jamie Oliver contract.
		“Cutting Dr Hillary and cutting Jamie Oliver would have been decisions that affected the editor of the Sunday Magazine” Coulson explains.
		“These are changes caused by a department” says Coulson of Jamie Oliver reinstatement. He says its ‘logical’ same happened with Mulcaire co
		“In the context of a £32 m budget, it’s not a big figure” says Coulson of Mulcaire contract: “I don’t want to be dismissive of £105k”
		BREAKING: “We paid double that to the astrologer” Andy Coulson says of Glenn Mulcaire’s £105,000 budget in 2005
		Coulson explains £22k paid for flowers “probably included alcohol” – he’d send flowers and bottles of champagne sent as gifts and thanks.
		Coulson explains that COL costs were for cost of lost of office – redundancies etc.
		Coulson explains the editorial management budget of £32k a week which includes costs attached to editors and deputy editor’s office
		On week 52 of every year, Stuart Kuttner would leave a large contingency fund – in this case £1.25 million – for book buy ups etc.
		Next years budget – for 2006/7 – adduced by Langdale: £500 per week for Goodman’s special project. Another proposed cut for 9 Consultancy
		Coulson has no additional memory of this budget. He’s asked about the change of payments to Mulcaire – same amount broken up.
		Coulson has was not aware of changes in payment to Mulcaire: it wouldn’t have been in his remit as editor.
		Langdale points out that the 2006 budget consideration process involved similar management staff as 2005.
		Once again, this NOTW budget process would lead to spring meeting with News Corp
		17/05/06 Hannah Eaves Tim Allen email chain send to Andy Coulson about the costs of Sports Columnists per annum.
		Coulson says he could have input into decisions on Sports Columnists and Feature Columnists paid between £40k-100k per year.
		“I had my budget and as long as I stayed within that budget, I was pretty much left alone” says Coulson.
		The exception to this autonomy from management says Coulson, was recruitment freezes, or big buy ups which he would explain to them.
		“If I spent an extra £50k that would set off an alarm bell” says Coulson of informing management of extra spends at NOTW.
		“That the last I want to ask you of budgets” says Langdale: “To everyones’s relief we’ll have a break” he says. Back in ten minutes.
	Coulson Asked about Glen Mulcaire and News of the World Stories
		Langdale returns to Coulson’s evidence he did not know about Mulcaire until arrest in 2006: he is asked about 2001 payment to Paul Williams
		Coulson cannot remember Mulcaire’s alias – Williams – or his other company Global Intelligence Services.
		Coulson is asked about Clive Goodman‘s evidence that he had little experience in ‘hard news’ – more in show business
		Coulson had extensive experience of editing, however, when he arrived at NOTW in May 2000
		The jury are given a new large bundle of cuttings related to Coulson’s defence.
		Langdale goes through a series of items “so we all get a picture” of Coulson’s work prior to arriving at NOTW.
		A January 1998 Beckham splash and two page spread and exclusive is adduced by Langdale: Coulson’s last story as a reporter.
		“From memory” says Coulson of Beckham/Posh Spice engagement “we were the only paper that got the pictures of engagement ring”
		Last column of Bizarre 31/01/98 is a two page splash shows Coulson ill in bed “hungover might be a better description”
		“There rise to fame coincided with my time at the Sun” says Coulson of the Spice Girls. They turned up at his house to be pictured with him
		20/08/98 Omagh Bombing Sun Front Page adduced in Court 12: Coulson was acting editor because both Yelland and Brooks away
		Yelland and Brooks were at a News Corp conference during Omagh Bombing: Coulson was editing for a couple of weeks during aftermath.
		Coulson would regularly edit the Sun on a Sunday when associate editor.
		02/11/00 edition of NOTW adduced: “I edited that paper because Rebekah was on holiday” says Coulson
		“It didn’t happen often on NOTW when a story would happen on a Saturday” says Coulson of changing paper for Columbia shuttle disaster
		Coulson explains the role of Neville Thurlbeck from 2000-02: part of investigations unit, then promoted to deputy news editor.
		“He was very well regarded” says Coulson of Thurlbeck: “he’s a few years old than me”
		Coulson explains the role of ‘sources’ when he was at NOTW.
		Coulson says his sources were varied: freelance journalists etc; “I saw NOTW as a factory – news coming in from various people”
		“Friends, relatives, celebrities, their agents… that bit I knew really well” says Coulson: “Show business became a much bigger deal”
		“The Spice Girls being one. It’s a marketing story as much as a pop story” says Coulson: “that area of journalism exploded”
	Coulson on Sources
		“That creates a whole load of new sources and ways of getting information” says Coulson of showbusiness “explosion” in newspapers.
		“I never did” says Coulson of revealing sources. “Your sources are your sources… you’re not expected to throw their names around newsroom”
		“That’s how the newspaper business works… the media in general” says Coulson of keeping sources secret.
		“Sometimes it’s obvious” says Coulson of other people’s sources. He talks of another show business reporter: he knew ‘some’ of his sources
		Another NOTW journalist who cannot be named for legal reasons is discussed. Coulson knew of ‘two’ of his sources only.
		Coulson explains why some sources in show business wanted to remain completely confidential: e.g. employees, liaisons etc.
		“Anonymity might also extend to their name not being known inside the organisation” says Coulson of anonymous sources.
		“If an anonymous source wishes to be paid in cash…. not encouraged but possible” says Coulson.
		“There was no system that provided for… false addresses” says Coulson of paying anonymous sources through aliases.
		Coulson says that, as editor, he wouldn’t know if someone was paid through an alias.
		As an editor, Coulson would “on occasion… in general terms” need to know who a source was: “it depended on the reporter”
		“If an experienced reporter had broken stories which proved to be true” Coulson would want to know “the reporter was satisified”
		On occasions Coulson would press his journalists for more information on their sources, but without knowing their names.
		In terms payments and “standing a story up” Coulson says “it would entirely depend on the story”
		“I was not involved in every payment for every story” says Coulson: “You just can’t run a newspaper that way”.
		“Generally speaking I would rely on the judgement of the department head” says Coulson of his editors.
		“If it’s a story that incurs the risk of defamation the lawyers would be involved” says Coulson – explaining affidavits and anonymity
	The Production Cycle
		Andy Coulson goes through production cycle at NOTW: the week begins on Tuesday, some stories on list transferred over.
		The ‘Title Meeting’ or management meeting would be on Tuesdays because it was a quiet day, unless the previous edition had been “poor”
		Otherwise first editor’s conferences were on Wednesdays at NOTW.
		Coulson says Wednesday editor’s conference usually began 11.15 am and lasted till noon – a lot of people in conference, all main departments
		After conference, Coulson says he’d hold a ‘pages meeting’ with a dummy and a ‘flat plan”: “you’d try to push adverts back to get more room”
		Regular columnists require discussion: “back of the book” gardening, motoring, films would be discussed less as the week went on at NOTW
		Coulson explains the weekly evolution of the ‘news list’ which would first be introduced on Wednesday editor’s conference.
		Some stories might exist already because they were held over from previous week. Some breaking news was predictable (e.g. Royal Wedding)
		“It’s a planning list if you like, of what may or may not come that week” says Coulson of evolving news list at NOTW.
		The editing software, Hermes, is explained to the jury at Court 12 from first input to sub editing and back benches.
		Of the Hermes system keeps track of authors, and versions, says Coulson: “it wouldn’t tell you the person in decision making process”
		Coulson says the back bench has the “first stab of where stories would appear in the paper”
		Langdale asks about changes of location of story from first edition to subsequent ones: Coulson says editors would know about big moves.
		“The night editor would be responsible” says Coulson of changes from second to third edition of NOTW: normally only informed of page ledes
		“I would absolutely expect those changes to be made in my absence” says Coulson of everything except changing the front page ‘splash’
		That’s the end of Coulson’s first day of evidence at the #hackingtrial

Note: All the defendants deny all the charges. The trial continues.

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Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 10 Apr
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