Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 4 Apr

Friday 4 April 2014

Summary
	Mark Hanna’s Defence continues with Character Witnesses
		Witness for Hanna – Simon Bowskill, a former Army colleague
		Witness for Hanna – Michael Bluestone, Security Consultant
		Witness for Hanna – Michael Alexander, Corporate Security Consultant
		Witness for Hanna – Kirstie Millett, a friend
		Witness for Hanna – Marva Ingram, Executive Receptionist at News UK
		Marva Ingram Cross Examined by the Prosecution

Mark Hanna’s Defence continues with Character Witnesses
	Witness for Hanna – Simon Bowskill, a former Army colleague
		Back at #hackingtrial Simon Bowskill is on a video link from Singapore: a character witness for Mark Hanna
		Bowskill says “Mark an outstanding citizen, very honest.. integrity unquestionable. Highly regarded by soldiers he led”
		“People were shocked” Hanna was involved in arrests says Bowskill. “Never” known his honesty to be questioned.
		Justice Saunders thanks Bowskill for his time.
	Witness for Hanna – Michael Bluestone, Security Consultant
		Next witness for Hanna is Michael Bluestone – a security consultant
		Bluestone has been a chartered security professional – past Chairman and currently president of the institute of security professionals
		With 1350 members the Security Institute is an “eclectic mix” of the higher echelons of the business says Bluestone
		“In the framework of the institute Mark… helped to maintain standards in the industry” says Bluestone.
		Bluestone “It was my view Mark was.. instrumental in an innovation in the city, the LISTEN program communicating to other professionals”
		“I always found Mark to be extremely honest… he took his work extremely seriously” says Bluestone.
		Edis asks about the code of conduct of the institute. Bluestone says available on Website.
	Witness for Hanna – Michael Alexander, Corporate Security Consultant
		Clegg calls Michael Alexander as another witness
		Michael Alexander takes the oath. He has a slight hearing problem. He’s a corporate security consultant for 40 plus years.
		Part of that time was Alexander’s 23 years as Marine commando. He met Hanna 12 years ago through private security: they formed LISTEN
		LISTEN is an electronic networking group for security professionals. Alexander and Hanna founded the network in around ten years ago
		Alexander says he and Hanna used to meet every few months professionally, and knew each other socially.
		Alexander says: “Mark has always come over to me as a true professional” He’s never heard any question Hanna’s truthfulness.
	Witness for Hanna – Kirstie Millett, a friend
		Clegg calls Kirstie Millett as Hanna’s next defence witness
		Millett was initially a friend of Hanna’s estranged wife, Tricia. Through her she met Hanna. They socialised as couples at Hanna’s house
		Millett is shown pictures of Hanna’s garden – she positively identifies the garden as “Mark and Tricia'” and the fire pit.
		Millett says she’s seen the fire pit for socialising after dinner: “we’ve done it quite regularly”
		Millett also identifies the incinerator in Hanna’s garden: she identifies “home made curry” and says they sit around fire after dinner.
		Millett says Hanna is a “very lovely man…. very sociable… very honest…”
		Millett agrees with Anthony Edis that Hanna “burnt things he wanted to get rid of” in his fire.
	Witness for Hanna – Marva Ingram, Executive Receptionist at News UK
		Hanna’s next witness is Marva Ingram: she’s an executive receptionist at News UK – formerly News International
		17/07/11 Ingram was a security administrator at TMS, employed by Advance security via contract.
		Ingram dealed with programming cards, or other questions on security issues back in 2011.
		Ingram’s supervisor was Luke Aspin: above him Glenn Jagger, Hanna’s assistant – and then Hanna himself. She’d see him occasionally
		“Strict but fair” says Ingram of Mark Hanna as a boss.
		Ingram says she doesn’t work Sundays
		Edis intervenes saying it’s important not to lead the witness.
		Dramatic moment: Ingram seems to have contradicted previous evidence
		Ingram says she had a call from “Mark… saying he was coming to News International… he would give me something to give someone”
		Ingram says she was at work and saw Hanna later that day on Thomas More Street
		Ingram shown the photo of Thomas More Square and where she would have met Mark Hanna.
		Ingram says Hanna had got to TMS in a car: she’s not “100 sure” but might have gone back to get a black bag, or brought one with her
		Ingram says she brought maybe two black bags and cellotape on Mark Hanna’s request.
		Ingram says she wasn’t told why to bring the black bags. Clegg asks what happened next. Hanna put a bag in the bin bags.
		Ingram says Hanna sealed the top of the bags, and she took back to her work station.
		Ingram took the bag black to her security hub at TMS where she kept it with her under the desk where she worked.
		Ingram identifies one of the security stations where she used to work. She put it behind glass door.
		Ingram says Hanna told her to keep hold of the bag: she finished work at 7pm. No one had contacted her to collect it by that point.
		Ingram contacted Hanna and then went home. She says she would regard Hanna as a friend. Socialise down the pub with him
		Ingram has never been to Hanna’s house. She was on duty when he was arrested in 2012 – he was giving her a briefing that morning.
		“We didn’t know he was arrested until we heard it on the TV’ says Ingram of Hanna. She hasn’t seen him since.
	Marva Ingram Cross Examined by the Prosecution
		Edis for the Crown cross examines Ingram: she told the oncoming shift about the bag but can’t remember who was on it.
		Edis asks Ingram when she realised the events of that day were connected with Hanna’s arrest: probably around the days the news came out
		Hanna was arrested and charged around May 2012. Ingram: “I think it was on the news that year…. perverting the course of justice”
		17/02/13 Ingram was interviewed by a police officer according to Edis, who wanted her to make a statement.
		Ingram says she spoke to a police officer: “But I didn’t think anything of the bag… Mark asked to do things… daily tasks”
		Ingram says Hanna did not ask her to put the bag in the lost property store. She didn’t lock it away. He didn’t ask her to lock bag away
		Ingram says swipe cards keep a record of who goes in and out of the buidling. She says she wasn’t suspicious why Hanna waited outside.
		Edis wants the jury to retire for a moment to “address your Lordship in the absence of the jury”
		Jury back in at #hackingtrial after short legal argument. Continuing cross examination of Marva Ingram by Andrew Edis QC for the crown
		Ingram says Hanna called before lunch, and he arrived an hour or so later. She met him at 11.00 or 11.30
		“I think it might have been a rucksack… not 100 per cent sure what kind of bag” was put in the bin bags, says Marva. “Some form of a bag”
		“It could have been” a rucksack says Marva. “Wasn’t peculiar… not with bin bags… but have done tasks for Mark before”
		“Keep the bag with you” is all Marva says Hanna told him. She never asked him about it. She can’t remember seeing Lee Sandell.
		Marva says her supervisor must have been Luke Aspin: she didn’t tell him about the fact someone hadn’t picked it up.
		“If Mark asked you to do something, you did it to the best of your ability” says Marva. Four people from night shift logged on.
		Marva told the incoming night shift about the bag: “I didn’t hand over to one particular person” Marva says pick up person would name Hanna
		The plan was for someone to call into the security hub, and she would go down and deliver the bag to the person.
		“That day was so busy” says Ingram and so the “workload” was so high she didn’t get a break.
		Ingram knows she had a morning break – around 9 am – but didn’t get a lunch break that day. She’d relieve assistant on 13th Floor.
		Ingram says she didn’t move around the building, but moving around the hub. Edis queries the photo of the security hub.
		Edis asks if the defence photo of Ingram’s hub has anything to do with where Charlie’s Bag was left. Ingram: “No it does not”
		Edis produces some photocopies. No objection to them from William Clegg QC, counsel for Mark Hanna.
		“This is the lost property register for News International is it?” Edis asks Ingram. She confirms how items would be registered and entered.
		Some items attributed to Lee and Luke in 17/07/11 NI lost property register.
		Ingram explains how News International lost property would be kept at security hub till the end of the day
		Ingram is asked whether she had dealings with any other property that day. She’s not sure how many bags went into the bin bag.
		“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t on a Sunday…. very very rarely work weekends” says Ingram of this incident with Hanna.
		Ingram explains to Justice Saunders about the barriers on Thomas More Road and the double yellow markings
		Clegg re-examines his defence witness Marva Ingram about a telephone number.
		Ingram is asked to turn her phone on and corrects the number she just gave.
		“I’m not allowed to lead you obviously,” says Clegg. “You’re getting the hang of the rules” jokes Justice Saunders.
		“I saw a clip on TV” says Ingram “and wondered if the gentleman had a black bag that I had” about two months ago.
		Clegg explains to the jury that further witnesses for Hanna – who has been accelerated – will be available on Monday.
		Justice Saunders explains to jury that the current position is that Goodman is not well enough to continue on Monday: back then at 10 am

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

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Previous Posts
Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 1 Apr
Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 02 Apr
Hacking Trial Live Tweets – 3 Apr

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