Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 29 Apr

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Summary
	The Cross-Examination of Andy Coulson Continues
		The Prosecution questions Coulson further on Phone Hacking
		Dan Evans hacking of Daniel Craig
		Clive Goodman and Royal Stories
	Justice Saunders informs the Jury of Clive Goodmans health
		Clive Goodman’s continued evidence will be delayed
	Further Cross-Examination of Andy Coulson
		The Prosecution questions Coulson on Hacking of Royal Aides
		Coulson’s phone rings in the dock
		The Calum Best Story
		Justice Saunders explains remainder of the trial
		Coulson questioned on the Arrests of Goodman and Mulcaire

The Cross-Examination of Andy Coulson Continues
	The Prosecution questions Coulson further on Phone Hacking
		Back at the #hackingtrial – impressively the jury have managed to get to the Old Bailey despite the Tube strike
		Justice Saunders says “I’m sure you’re the first jury to sit in this building today”
		18/09/04 was when Stuart Kuttner put to Simon Hoggart that he was having an affair with Kimberley Quinn. Coulson recalls talking to source.
		Edis says the source of the Hoggart story was via phone hacking. Coulson says there was another source – it was months later.
		Coulson is confident the Hoggart story was “legalled”: but “new information emerged” by the time he published story in December 2004
		Edis points out Hoggart only few months after Blunkett affair. “I never considered that a story that came from phone hacking” says Coulson
		Email about ‘Greg’s Investigation Man’ and the NOTW editor trying to cancel his payments. “Someone over ruled – who was that?”
		Coulson says he wasn’t party to that decision. “You must have done” says Edis: “Who else would have done that?”
		“As a general rule I didn’t get involved in those kind of decisions” says Coulson. “impossible for me to retrace my steps from this distance
		Edis if other NOTW executives would have had authority to cut payments to Mulcaire: “It’s possible a number of people”
		“Without talking to you? Even though you were doing the budget?” asks Edis. “I can you tell you in politics….” says Coulson.
		“The budgeting processes are fixed. But it’s not like that on a newspaper.” says Coulson. Edis: “Were you incompetent… overseeing budget?
		“If you had £12m to split between Features and News, who would make the decision?” asks Edis. Coulson says “those figures inherited yr to yr
		“There’s only one person who can decide if a particular employee is creating value… and that’s you” says Edis. “No, that’s not my job”
		Edis adduces an email Coulson wrote to various desk heads – NOTW just won Newspaper of the Year award.
		Coulson 2005 email talks of “too many stories that fall in ‘fine’ category.. and not producing follow. We need a hit badly”
		Coulson wrote in 2005: “I’ll try to find the resources” Coulson says he would have got that from Kuttner, perhaps his contingency fund.
		“I would not dispute that” says Coulson of ‘big stories’: “Yes they are important to the paper”
		Edis asks about an email to Coulson 25/05/05 about a (false) tip Hannah Pawlby having an affair with Charles Clarke
		Coulson said he didn’t know Neville Thurlbeck was targeting Clarke: “It didn’t register with me…”
		“The revelation of Blunkett was one of your top stories of 2004” says Edis “and here’s another Home Secretary”
		Coulson says that Ian Kirby, political editor, was ‘disbelieving’ of Clarke allegations, and another NOTW exec “good friends”
		“Our tip gave us Pawlby’s mobile, which I imagine Neville already had….” You know what Neville did with mobiles” says Edis.
		“Didn’t it ring any alarm bells, “Oh dear, there’s Neville doing that awful thing again?” asks Edis. Coulson: “No it didn’t”
		01/07/05 New Contract with Nine Consultancy for £105k signed by Thurlbeck who no longer had authority. Coulson didn’t give it to him he says
		06/07/05 email from Goodman to Coulson about police banning Queen from Garden: Coulson says story could have come from anyone who saw
		“It could have come from anyone who witnessed it” says Coulson. “It wouldn’t have come from the Queen though would it?” says Edis.
		“Did you think he had sources in the Palace police” asks Edis. “No I didn’t” says Coulson. He could have had a source.
		Edis points out that Coulson knew sources when it came to the Craig/Miller/Law story.
		“There are sources names all over your correspondence in NOTW” says Edis. Coulson didn’t know who Goodman’s sources were and didn’t ask
		Edis cites Dan Evans email about Law/Miller story “inside info from Kelly Hoppen”. Coulson doesn’t know what “special checks” were.
		Edis asks what else “special checks” could me. “Talk to other sources” says Coulson. “Says to me journalist is carrying out checks”
		“The office cat knew what Dan was doing” says Edis. “We didn’t have an office cat” says Coulson.
		“If someone hears someone in Kelly Hoppen camp is upset, you can’t check it on wikipedia” says Edis. Coulson says talking to people
		“Mr Evans is a new employee, and he’s done something special” says Edis. “It means nothing to me” says Coulson.
		Edis goes back to another ‘palace cops” email from Goodman to Coulson.
		“Were you particularly interested in young Royals” asks Edis. Coulson confirms that as they were getting older stories could be published.
		“They were engaging with the media” says Coulson of Young Royals. “You’ve been a spin doctor” says Edis “so you know how it works”
		“Mr Goodman was well connected with the events of the Young Royals” says Edis of various stories. Coulson wanted him to up his game
		19/10/05 More Goodman email “Chelsey is driving Harry nuts…. we’ve been have a very quiet look at this..” followed by phone details, texts
		“Having a quiet look at this independently and it works” says Goodman email. Edis claims “quiet” means “secret”,
		Email cites 60 calls and texts: Coulson accepts “from this distance” it could mean the phone billing records are being checked.
		Langdale intervenes: he has a full version of the email in Coulson’s defence bundle.
		“This email is telling you in plain terms Mr Goodman has access to private records in reference to Chelsy” says Edis. Coulson reads email
		“It’s not from this distance – it’s what it says – the reference to phone records” says Edis. Coulson says email “loaded” with other sources
		Coulson says “phone traffic” was used on the paper occasionally. “With the benefit of hindsight I never applied my mind to it” says Coulson
		Coulson says he never did anything about ‘traffic’: “It fell into the data protection area… lot of confusion in the industry about that”
		Coulson says “the industry as a whole was in a state of confusion about the data protection act”
		Coulson says the NI lawyer “should take some responsibility” for not apprising him of the data protection act.
		“If you’re just someone who uses the phone” says Edis “you wouldn’t expect journalists to be able to go through your phone billing”
		“I didn’t apply my mind to it” says Coulson. Edis points out the PCC protects privacy. “Here you are listening to talk about ‘traffic”
		Edis asks why they didn’t put ‘phone records’ in the paper. Saunders asks whether it would have been a problem to do so.
		Coulson says he would have consulted lawyer about ‘phone traffic’ but accepts it was his responsibility as editor.
		“It’s mentioned in writing, in black and white, in an email directed to you” says Edis. Coulson “Don’t remember this story causing concern”
		Edis goes back to second Goodman email with a tip off about “a fantastic new way to William” – Coulson can’t remember this.
		Goodman has a tip off contact whose son is going to a military cadet at Sandhurst at the same time as Prince William.
		“This doesn’t register with me” says Coulson. Edis says “Goodman was trying to impress you with his performance”
		Coulson says “I have a memory” of Kuttner being concerned with cash payments, but can’t remember an email talking about Goodman’s payments
		24/08/05 Goodman email to deputy managing editor talks about three anonymous cash sources which being traced would put editor “in jail”
		Coulson says Goodman seems to be making stuff up about jailing editor. “Did anyone speak to you?” asks Edis. “No,” says Coulson.
		10/09/05 with a story about Tom Parker Bowles and Jordan getting married same day: Prince Harry allegedly joked “I’d rather be at Jordans”
		“Where you get this from?” asks Coulson in email. “It’s a very important question” says Edis: tells you if true and whether privacy breached
		“I think Iipreaders are used generally in Royal Weddings and things like that” says Coulson.
		10 minute break
		Ten minute break at #hackingtrial somehow elongated to 30 mins
	Dan Evans hacking of Daniel Craig
		Edis now turns to the hacking by Dan Evans of Daniel Craig and Sienna Miller: Coulson doesn’t remember anyone mentioning hacking by him
		Coulson denies the recollection of Dan Evans about playing him a tape of voicemails and sending back in Jiffy bag.
		In Coulson’s diary he was at party in Brighton on the Tuesday – appointments with Hoon, Reid, and Brown “cancelled” on Wednesday
		Coulson: “I wouldn’t say cabinet members diary rigidly reflects the meetings you have a conference”
		The last meeting for the wednesday has Coulson meeting Damian McBride: also marked CXL.
		Coulson is “not certain” he saw these people that year because conference in Brighton two years in a row.
		“It looks from this diary that they’ve been cancelled, and you don’t remember” says Edis.
		Coulson says “it’s unusual for ministers to cancel meetings with editors of national newspapers”
		Coulson’s evidence is that he was at the Labour Party conference. On the Tuesday there was a hack of Daniel Craig‘s phone
		“They might have cancelled…. they might have more important thing to do like running the country” says Edis.
		Coulson “doesn’t know he didn’t” go into the NOTW office that Wednesday. He had been in Brighton with senior NOTW exec.
		“Conference weeks are unusual in that you have a number three stepping up” says Coulson of NOTW.
		Edis says the playing of the Sienna Miller voicemail “was quite an exciting moment for you.” Coulson: “It didn’t happen”
		Blunkett was at the conference at the time – we know because of a message hacking from Sally Anderson.
		28/09/05 ‘Blunkett’s blonde’ is on NOTW news schedule on the same week Dan Evans hacked Craig’s phone: Anderson became a splash.
		Coulson says he knew nothing of hacking of Mulcaire’s phone: Edis points out a new News Editor “is doing his own hacking from NOTW”
		“There’s an awful lot of phone hacking now, and a lot of people working for you were doing it” says Edis. Coulson says he knows that now.
		Coulson accepts that Jude Law and Blunkett both made the front pages of NOTW that month.
		Coulson says Jude Law Sienna Miller was a ‘drop splash’ because of Bruno book.
		“We saw you asking the question ‘how did we get this’ over a trivial story… did you ask this about these two big stories” asks Edis.
		Coulson says Jude Law story came from sources, and Blunkett stories from watching hotel and Daily Mail.
		“No one is disputing there were human sources” says Edis, naming a series of NOTW journos.
		Edis goes to the actual NOTW Law/Miller/Craig story and the various versions.
		Email to Coulson about Dan Evans: “has played a crucial role in this story… became a valuable member of my team”
		Coulson says he doesn’t know what Dan Evans had done. “Reignited interest through his checks”
		“I took the email at face value… for the quick reading I gave it” Coulson says of giving Dan Evans byline
		Coulson talks of a journalist just waiting in a hotel: “So you knew what she’d been doing, but you don’t know what he’d been doing”
		Email in praise of Dan Evans speaks of bringing in stories on Jade Goody and Stephen Gerrard (he hacked the former and the second’s agent)
		Email mentions “checks”: “Didn’t you want to know how he got these stories” asks Edis. “I don’t think I did” says Coulson.
		Coulson agrees he made a decision to elevate Dan Evans byline. Edis says this is because of tape he played him. Coulson denies this.
	Clive Goodman and Royal Stories
		“I don’t think the pictures ever materialised” says Coulson. Edis: “Mr Goodman seems content… providing he doesn’t get caught”
		Edis goes back to another Goodman to Coulson email on “William cadet dad” – a “long term police contact” of another NOTW journalist.
		These are about “pics” of William and fears if used the cadet will be kicked out of the army for selling photographs.
		The figure of £10k is suggested for these William pics. “I think we should get it in as early as poss” writes Goodman to Coulson
		Edis points out a policeman and a serving cadet, NOTW and Coulson all included in this plan. Coulson says “I don’t remember it”
		“Did you forbid him to do it?” asks Edis of payment. Coulson: “I don’t think it got to the point where that decision was required”
		25/10/05 Coulson approves retainer for someone close to Young Royals.
		Coulson denies young Royals were “fair game”: “I was advising restraint at some point… I remember an argument with Paddy Harverson
		Coulson says “the Sunday papers fell out” with Royal Aides because dailies and the broadcasters getting better Royal coverage.
		“I certainly think the heir to the throne is someone of interest to NOTW readers” says Coulson.
		Coulson accepts the “timing seems to make sense” over the meeting with Goodman and the Alexander project. He accepts payment unusual
		“I think I was in my right mind, I didn’t see it as a bizarre request” says Coulson of putting royal source on weekly retainer.
		“I’m not asking you to do anything off the top of your head” says Edis about other cash retainers: “This trial has been going on 6 months”
		“I never committed to this as an annual retainer” says Coulson. Edis says “no one in their right mind would ever do it” for a source.
		“Speculative payments are made from time to time” says Coulson. “A human source would be taking a risk” says Edis.
		Goodman emails Coulson back 3 days later: “that new project is getting results.. inside info….” Not Sandhurst information Coulson concedes
		Another palace cop story is mentioned by Goodman in this email to Coulson
		A month later from Goodman on “extending Matey trial project”; Coulson emails back “another month”
		“Whether its phone hacking or bent police officers” says Edis of checking with press office: “journalists get stories they need to stand up”
		“I certainly didn’t ask about the sourcing of that story” says Coulson of his reply to an email saying “pop in” – could be any thing
		“You must have known what it was” to approve it says Edis. “I knew what Clive had told me” says Coulson.
		Edis turns to a transcript of a Prince Harry voicemail “it was prepared for you”; Coulson denies this – and is unsure of the ‘provenance”
		“This email is curious” says Coulson of Goodman’s transcript of Harry asking for information for a Sandhurst exam.
		This story of Harry’s exams made the Blackadder lead in the NOTW.
		“He certainly didn’t show me the transcript… and I didn’t know it came from voicemail interception” says Coulson. “What did he tell you?”
		Coulson emails another NOTW editor: “a million miles from standing it up”: Edis: “What evidence has been shown to you?” “I can’t remember”
		Email refers to Coulson having a “full briefing”: Coulson says “Clive is more than capable of exaggerating”
		Coulson: “I absolutely disagree that ‘standing up’ means some clever way of concealing voicemail hacking, it’s standard newspaper language”
		“As we know it’s 100 per cent true” writes Goodman. Coulson says it’s not “me and Clive” but the newspaper.
		Coulson thinks the phrase “toe to toe” is OTT. Edis says confrontations with Royal aides ‘abrasive’. Coulson agrees could be ‘tense’
		Goodman talks about “inf… being too precise to get through unnoticed” Coulson thinks this is just about a source.
		“My levels of interest in this story are not high” says Coulson. Edis: “High enough to email back” Coulson talks about ‘bombardment’
		“This whole thing relies on somebody’s recollection rather than precise words because they’ve been taped?” says Edis
		“What’s happening on your story” writes Coulson to Goodman. Coulson says there would have been 30 other stories he’d have been more interest in
		“As we know” writes Goodman about precise wording of Harry. Coulson: “I certainly did not suspect Goodman had got this info from hacking”
		Another “as we know” about the wording of Harry’s request. Coulson: “If Goodman knew… why does he not just say it?”
		“People liked to keep explicit references to phone hacking off the email” says Edis.
		Coulson denies evidence that “there had to be an instruction given…. they were not to talk about it openly in editorial conferences”
		Break to 2.15
		Jury back in at the #hackingtrial after a prolonged lunch break due to some legal argument and case management.
Justice Saunders informs the Jury of Clive Goodmans health
	Clive Goodman’s continued evidence will be delayed
		Justice Saunders updates the jury about Goodman’s health and asks for some input.
		“We hoped Mr Goodman would be back by Friday” says Saunders but an angiogram has been delayed because Goodman has pneumonia
		Goodman is being treated with a second set of antibiotics – but an invasive angiogram cannot happen till pneumonia gone. No chance Friday
		Goodman can’t have an angiogram till Friday week – and we’ll have finished all the evidence, Saunders says.
		“It could put the trial back a bit” says Saunders to jury “but you’re not unused to that.” He asks for general thoughts from the jury.
Further Cross-Examination of Andy Coulson
	The Prosecution questions Coulson on Hacking of Royal Aides
		Justice Saunders explains that Coulson hasn’t been well today but wants to continue after lunch break
		Edis turns to a second email about “matey’s payments” and a source being “good” for Sandhurst stories as well as Royal Aides.
		“That’s a very interesting source” says Edis of info that covered both Sandhurst and London aides.
		“Did it occur to you that such a well placed source could have been in London and Sandhurst at same time” asks Edis.
		“You knew about phone hacking in general” says Edis. “I knew of a specific instance” replies Coulson.
		Another email about ‘Matey’s weekly payments’ cited. Coulson had decided in his own words “to end the retainer”
		“I wasn’t sufficiently impressed… I wanted it to end in whatever form” says Coulson. Goodman explained a “new arrangement”
		“I made the decision on the basis that the source might go elsewhere” says Coulson. The email on 05/03/06 from Goodman goes through “math’
		“As it turns out Clive continued to have some relationship with this person” says Coulson.
		Goodman talks about “costs for Matey setting things up and maintaining… he’s not a hack. He just missed stuff”
		“I didn’t care much” says Coulson. “It’s perfectly obvious” says Edis that a “story by story” basis is the proposition. Coulson disagrees.
		“A human source won’t ‘miss stuff” says Edis “a person who might miss stuff might be going through material”
		Coulson says “sources don’t instantly understand what’s a story” of Goodman’s email.
		“How could you possibly take the decision this was a valuable thing without knowing where the stories come from?” asks Edis.
		“Clive Goodman never told me this was phone hacking” says Coulson.
		“Might we extend Matey for one more week…. find Will and Kate more probable” email cited. “Did you think a Sandhurst contact?” Edis.
		Coulson says of further Goodman emails of “that chap we had on a retainer” – “I took them on face value”
		Coulson asks why, if he knew Mulcaire was on exclusive retainer, he’d let Goodman say he’d go elsewhere. Edis says he can’t answer questions
		Another Goodman email refers to “this woman” – indicating he’d talked to Coulson before. Edis says we know this has been hacked. No we don’t
		“There’s some story coming out of voicemails – a woman upset, and Paddy worried about it” says Edis.
		Goodman email talks about “we know the story absolutely to be true” and about “blagging a confession” from Paddy Harverson.
		“That’s the 28th April 2006,” says Edis: “about the same time Joan Hamill was being hacked…. the Prescott story being investigated”
		“By April 2006, Mr Goodman’s expression ‘industrial scale phone hacking’ was correct wasn’t it?” asks Edis.
		“It’s entirely unfair to suggest NOTW staff knew en masse what was going on” says Coulson.
		Coulson says of Jowell and husband, and a “very unusually” a statement ran on the Saturday
		“This is the week of the Frederick Windsor hack was going on… a week earlier…. Mulcaire sends email about Tessa Jowell” says Edis.
		“By 2006 we have got Mr Mulcaire’s phone records” says Edis.
	Coulson’s phone rings in the dock
		Ringing phone. Edis had a horrible feeling the ringing phone might be his. It’s Coulson’s in the dock area. He asks permission to leave.
		Saunders says “you could stamp on it.” Brooks jokes “It’s an iPhone I can’t work it” – court erupts in laughter (you had to be there)
		BREAKING: Justice Saunders suggesting ‘stamping’ on a ringing phone. Brooks jokes: “It’s an iPhone I can’t work it” #hackingtrial
		Edis now turns to the Calum Best emails
		“This is the same time you were hacked… in February 2006,” says Edis. Langdale intervenes
		“We cannot have the prosecution case dressed up as a cross examination… it’s a repetition” says Langdale.
	The Calum Best Story
		24/03/06 next page – Mulcaire has a tasking for Calum Best
		Edis suggest that Mulcaire did some “phone record blagging” on the Lorna Hogan Calum Best story.
		Coulson does remember Lorna Hogan, but wasn’t interested in Calum Best. He didn’t ask about phone traffic. “Not that interested”
		April 2006: Coulson writes “appalling lack of kiss and tells…. scraping the barrel with Calum Best“
		“Kiss and tells… continues to be an element of the tabloid press” says Coulson. He agrees Calum Best wasn’t “hot news”
		Coulson concedes that along with Opera Girls, Calum Best was all he had that week in NOTW.
		“It’s about the meaning of the email… you wish you didn’t have to bother about Calum Best” says Edis. “That’s a distortion” Coulson says
		Another undated Mulcaire note has a new PIN number for NOTW journo. Next page has “phone traffic” for someone contacting NOTW journo
		“Proctor… Trinity Mirror” also mentioned in Mulcaire notebooks. Edis explains “examining someone’s phone to see” if contacted NOTW journo
		“Did you commission that work?” asks Edis of Mulcaire’s ‘traffic analysis’: Mulcaire emails to a NOTW editor. Coulson didn’t know.
		11/05/06 Andrew Coleman sends Kuttner billing data for the NOTW journalist. Coulson says he was involved in this traffic analysis.
		Coulson reiterates the concern at NOTW of “stories being leaked” and how they checked on a employee’s call data.
		“That work on 11th of May was done because of what Mulcaire had done previous day” says Edis. “Not to my knowledge” says Coulson
		“The whole basis of the decision was information Mulcaire provided” says Edis of checking of NOTW journos billing details.
		“Nobody told you what the evidence was?” asks Edis. Coulson says “There was a concern about leaks to… the Sunday Mirror in particular”
		Coulson says the concern about leaks was triggered by concern by Calum Best.
		“I would certainly not have agreed to that” says Coulson of hacking of Calum Best.
		Edis says NOTW journalist was hacked for over three weeks to 17/05/06 Coulson said he’d given approval to desk head for unbilled calls
		“You were investigating [NOTW journo] hacking and blagging” says Edis. Coulson denies this.
		“Two friends in contact with each other tells you nothing” says Edis: “You knew of hacking as a technique. Didn’t you use it?” Coulson: “No”
		Email on 20/05/06 “You think Calum a leak?” Coulson on Hogan: “This email explains the issue… tipped off NOTW is using scan of child”
		“Same thing happened before… Calum bragging I have mates in NOTW” says email Coulson.
		“Do his phone” Coulson replied. He says in the witness box he meant “As discussed the phone records should be checked”
		The ‘his’ on this email is [Another NOTW journalist] says Coulson. But the only name that appears is Calum points out Edis.
		” “Do his phone” is not a particularly friendly utterance” says Edis. He asks if he meant hack the phone of NOTW journalist? Coulson says no
		Coulson can’t remember anything of any significance coming from the command to “do” NOTW journalists billing records.
		Last email before break: 28/07/06 “that fellah who used to be on a retainer… rock solid” but has to be “put to somebody to confirm it”
		“Same sourcing as the Kate tale…. exact words” says email. Coulson says from a source. Goodman says he might know what the Sun have got
		Edis talks about a John Prescott story and hacking MoS journalists for a spoiler at NOTW. “Not as far as I knew” says Coulson.
		“Whoever this source was he hacked journalists phones” says Edis. Coulson said he would like to read that edition of NOTW 29/04/06
		Langdale says that edition might not be available here.
	Justice Saunders explains remainder of the trial
		Saunders explains to jury there’s 2.5 days of Goodman, 10 days of closing speeches: 3 to 4 days of summing up by Saunders to come at #hackingtrial 14 minute break.
	Coulson questioned on the Arrests of Goodman and Mulcaire
		Edis moves onto arrests of Goodman and Mulcaire – he won’t repeat the exercise Spens went through in regard to that.
		Handwritten notes record Brooks telling NI lawyer that Jowell, Prescott and Temple were victims. Coulson doesn’t recall her telling him that
		In handwritten notes the police had suspicion about another NOTW editor in 2006 – Coulson doesn’t remember that.
		“Once balloon goes up on 8th of August, the fact of Blunkett business must have been uppermost in your mind” says Edis.
		Coulson said he “asked the question” if Mulcaire involved in Blunkett hacking – but was told he wasn’t. He can’t remember who told him
		Coulson can’t remember asking Thurlbeck. Edis: “He’s the obvious one to ask…. I’m suggesting… this part of your evidence is invented”
		“I was re-assured.. there was no belief or information to the contrary” says Coulson. “The voicemails were in the safe” says Edis.
		“You were discussing the arrests” says Edis and NI lawyer “never told you tapes were in the safe?”
		“Now Goodman and Mulcaire got arrested” asks Edis that the NI lawyer “might have underperformed no?”
		“Your immediate reaction to the arrests was to cover things up” says Edis. “If that was so I would have gone to safe” says Coulson.
		“I didn’t believe and I don’t believe I’m guilty” says Coulson of covering up phone hacking in 2006 to hide his guilt
		“A lot of confusion by this stage” says Coulson of 15/09/06 legal notes which mention the Mulcaire paid “over a million” by NOTW.
		Edis says this other Mulcaire information clearly well beyond “palace intercepts”; Coulson agrees goes beyond royals.
		Coulson points out that Goodman wrote about more than just royals.
		“The single rogue reporter line – with Mulcaire just hacking royals for £12k – was rubbish” says Edis.
		“You knew it was rubbish because of the Blunkett hack” says Edis. Coulson says he thought Thurlbeck voicemails a “one off”
		Edis: “These are life changing events… arrests, resigning from NOTW, getting another job, resigning from that… all began on August 8th”
		“Are you really saying you can’t remember” asks Edis of being assured Mulcaire not involved in Thurlbeck hack. Coulson says “I don’t”
		Edis says of the two meetings with lawyers post Goodman Mulcaire arrests “no-one’s taken a note… why hadn’t you taken a note?”
		Coulson says the meetings were about a police “fishing operation” as described by NI lawyer.
		“But you knew there had been other phone hacking” says Edis. “I knew of once incident… I didn’t tell the police about that”
		Coulson confirms NI lawyer and NI exec knew about Blunkett tapes: “There was a coverup” says Edis. “Not by me” says Coulson.
		Edis says the purpose of Coulson delaying his resignation was to keep Goodman reassured he would keep a job.
		Coulson says he didn’t want to affect Goodman’s sentencing.
		Edis says “you didn’t bother to tell the truth to the public” about the Blunkett hack when he resigned.
		“I didn’t see my self as a man of honour, I thought I should take responsibility for it” says Coulson of resignation statement.
		Coulson doesn’t agree that the stance at his resignation was “quite dishonest”: he resigned again in Jan 2011 from Number 10
		BREAKING: Coulson agrees that if he’d admitted Blunkett voicemail hacks he would never have been David Cameron’s press spokesman
		Edis asks about Guardian article in 2009 that revealed more phone hacking. The NYT in 2010. “They implicated you again” says Edis.
		“You’re absolutely right that caused a huge wave of publicity” says Coulson of NYT articles.
		Coulson says “it’s possible” that Brooks told him in Jan 2011 that NI would release evidence, but doesn’t remember any warning
		Edis says that Brooks and Coulson were close: Coulson “quite possible Rebekah telling me there were developments”
		“I don’t think there was any doubt in my mind these things weren’t going away” says Coulson of Jan 2011. He says been thinking that since 10
		“You got your resignation in just before they opened the police inquiry” says Edis. Coulson says PM was in Afghanistan, and Jan had plans.
		“It had nothing to do with that” says Coulson of start of Operation Weeting. Edis: “You knew the truth would come out… you were involved”
		Edis finishes his cross examination. Justice Saunders turns to discussion about going through Goodman’s prosecution papers.
		The prosecution papers refer to Miskiw, Thurlbeck and other NOTW journo and a “neutral term” appearing on Mulcaire contract.
		Saunders asks if NI legal interpretation of Goodman documents “are there any dangers there”: Coulson “Wouldn’t have interpreted that way”
		Some debate as to whether to go straight into re-examination. Saunders tells the jury to go home and come back tomorrow

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

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