Old Bailey Hacking Trial – Wednesday November 7th

I’m covering here the evidence and testimony that can’t be live tweeted, but only reported in breaks. Paras sum up an argument or line of questioning. The dialogue sections  closely follow what was said but with ellipses denoting missed sections (almost invariably repetitions or unheard sections. This is not a stenographers or shorthand verbatim.

The prosecution called Dean Keyworth is a long standing friend of Andy Coulson, and has known him since journalism school. As a result of his friendship of Coulson he met Brooks at a party in 200-. He went to Dubai on holiday with a friend called William Hennessy in April 02, at the height of the ‘Missing Milly’ story. He is providing corroborating evidence for yesterday’s witness, who claimed Brooks was on the phone about a ‘missing 12 year old’.

I’m going to experiment transcribing the questions and answers, but some of this might be too much detail: but I’ll take advice from my readers

PROSECUTION QUESTIONS

Edis: How did you first find out Rebekah Wade (as she was then) was in Dubai?

Keyworth: I was asked by Bill Walsh to make an offer to Wade and Kemp – for PR reasons – to offer them a suite at a reduced rate for PR reasons. I phoned Andy’s secretary to pass on a message. They were booked in…. I was staying at the neighbouring hotel

Edis: Had Mr Hennessy arrived at that stage. For how long were you there

Keyworth: Yes. Five days.

Edis: Did you meet Brooks and Wade?

Keyworth: Yes they came over to have drinks in the basement nightclub…. They arrived in the afternoon… we had drinks in the evening. I saw them the following day…. lunchtime.

Saunders: Just to recap…. evening drinks at your hotel…. then next day lunchtimg

Edis: Can you remember anything about the nightime conversation

Keyworth: Only about Ross Kemp leaving East Enders.

Edis: On the following day… how long did you spend in each other’s company

Keyworth: Two or three hours. Ross went to play tennis with Bill Walsh. Leaving me and Rebekah alone. She was on the phone a lot to the office. There wasn’t much of a conversation….. (making or receiving calls?) I think both…. I said don’t just work…. she said she’d rather keep on top of things…

DEFENCE QUESTIONS

Laidlaw for Ms Brooks: How did you come to find yourselves spending a little time together. It’s quite by chance you end up in Dubai as the same time as Mr Kemp and Mrs Brooks. From what I understand, Bill Walsh…. marketing director… learns that Brooks and Kemp are staying in a rival hotel.

Laidlaw goes through the same evidence as above with little contention, repeating the facts – some in more details. “Mrs Brooks really struggles to remember the details….

Edis: “If my learned friend would ask the witness a question..”

Laidlaw: “Do you remember meeting her.”

Keyworth: “Yes… Very vividly it great publicity for the hotel

Saunders: “I bet he wasn’t expecting this much publicity. ”

Laidlaw goes through what he remember of the conversation – as above – Ross Kemp’s career. For lunch, Rebekah in the shade, Ross and Walsh went to play tennis. No recollection of any comment about Milly Dowler

Laidlaw: “Did you know…. if she was discreet about her work?”

Keyworth: “She knew I knew other journalists. And didn’t say much.”

Langdale, COULSON’s lawyer, not cross examines Keyworth about his friendship with Coulson. They used to keep in contact but have nothing seen each other much since Keyworth could be called as a witness. It was a long friendship, and he kept in contact. “He was very ambitious but not ruthless. He wanted to get stories but not at any cost. He was very self deprecating, played things down. Honest. Straightforward.

Langdale explores Coulson’s time at the Bizarre column

Keyworth: It was great. We used to go to nightclubs and show business parties

Keyworth: My daughter and son were born very close time together. Coulson contributes a lot to children’s charities, and hospital. During my divorce he was very concerned about my daughter, and took her on holiday. During the trial he seemed very stoic, but it does effect him the effect on his kids

EDIS now calls Robert Kellaway – covered in live tweeting