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Monday 9 June 2014
Summary | ||
The Summing Up Continues on Count 1 | ||
Justice Saunders QC continues his review of Count One and Blunkett Evidence | ||
Evidence of Hacking relating to Charles Clarke | ||
The Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Daniel Craig Story | ||
The Evidence of Dan Evans | ||
Coulson’s Evidence on Evans Hacking | ||
The Hacking of Mark Oaten and Laura Rooney | ||
The Calum Best Story | ||
The Hacking of Tessa Jowell and John Prescott | ||
The Evidence of Eimear Cook | ||
The Evidence of Ambi Sitham | ||
The Hacking of Gordon Taylor | ||
The Hacking of Royal Phones |
The Summing Up Continues on Count 1 | ||
Justice Saunders QC continues his review of Count One and Blunkett Evidence | ||
Justice Saunders says he’s rather grateful for the break at the #hackingtrial as it has given him more time to prepare summing up | ||
Saunders is now at the Blunkett part of the Count One phone hacking timeline – with transcripts of the Coulson meeting and hacked voicemails | ||
Saunders cites an invoice for £750 additionally for Mulcaire for ‘services’ for Blunkett over three year affair with Kimberley Quinn | ||
Saunders runs through the history of the affair – including the ‘tall and blonde’ joke Quinn made about Blunkett. NOTW published affair. | ||
NOTW did not break the name of Quinn, though the Sun did the next day in an exclusive. D Mirror broke news of pregnancy. | ||
Saunders points out that Mulcaire tasking by Miskiw in Jan 04 targeted those around Blunkett: 300 messages circa 2004 recovered from NI Safe | ||
Thurlbeck wrote up the Blunkett story: the voicemails are “personal and loving messages” from former Home Secretary: | ||
Simon Hoggart was also targeted: his messages picked up from Quinn’s phone. A clinic called with “scan results” | ||
“A gross breach of privacy you may think” Saunders tells the jury of “hacking that voicemail” about Quinn’s pregnancy. | ||
“He would not lie but would not admit either the story was true” Saunders says of Huw Evans, Blunkett’s adviser’s attitude to the affair | ||
Evans also told the jury he thought it was inevitable the affair would come out. | ||
Coulson met Blunkett on 13/08/04 at his constituency home – he spoke to Brooks immediately beforehand, and other senior NOTW staff | ||
Blunkett was trying to find out what Coulson’s source for the affair was: Coulson said he would not reveal identity of Quinn in the paper. | ||
“Andrew Coulson would not reveal his sources” says Saunders. To Blunkett, the photo of Quinn leaving his home meant nothing. | ||
Evans said Blunkett was “very distressed” about NOTW breaking the story: he was puzzled that Coulson was absolutely certain of story. | ||
Evans wasn’t impressed by Coulson’s promise not to name Quinn – did not believe big public interest defence on publishing the story | ||
After meeting Blunkett, Coulson was in contact immediately with Brooks and Thurlbeck. | ||
Coulson’s account is that NOTW has a “good relationship” with Blunkett because of his support for Sarah’s Law. | ||
Coulson said that he was contacted on holiday in the summer of 2004 by Thurlbeck about voicemails | ||
Prosecution say that Coulson had to admit knowing about Blunkett hacking because of the evidence. Defence say he didn’t need to admit this | ||
Coulson said he told Thurlbeck to “stop the investigation” on 21/07/04 Thurlbeck said public interest in affair with owner of Spectator. | ||
Coulson rang another NOTW exec who also agreed investigation should stop. By 2004 PCC code had explicitly banned voicemail interception | ||
The 2004 code said phone hacking needed a public interest defence – but Coulson did not know it was breaking the law. | ||
According to Saunders’ summing up, Coulson returned to edit NOTW in late July: a Fariam Alam buy up “took up a lot of his time” | ||
However Thurlbeck repitched the story and played the Blunkett voicemails. His assumption was Thurlbeck had hacked the messages himself. | ||
Thurlbeck said this voicemail hacking was “in the public interest” because he was considering going public, and mentioned GCHQ and terrorism | ||
Coulson concluded Blunkett was distracted and the public had a right to know. | ||
Saunders tells jury on Blunkett: “just because it was about to become public does not itself make it in the public interest you might think” | ||
Coulson said he spoke to NI lawyer who though the privacy issue “was more acute with Quinn than Blunkett” so removed her name. | ||
Coulson told Blunkett “you give me a statement and I’ll not name her”. | ||
According to Coulson, NI lawyer said nothing about phone hacking being illegal. Farrers also confused about it, so too Goodman’s lawyers | ||
Coulson also told the court he told NI exec about voicemail source for Blunkett story. | ||
Coulson asked about contact and texts with Brooks around meeting with Blunkett: they were not talking about Blunkett he said. | ||
Coulson said his relationship with Brooks then did “not extend to sharing stories” while he was editor of NOTW and she of the Sun. | ||
Coulson checked the story with Huw Evans who did not confirm or deny the Quinn affair. | ||
Coulson says that though he might have told Brooks about NOTW Blunkett story on the Saturday night, he did not share hacking info | ||
Coulson admitted that none of the public interest justifications (GCHQ / Terrorism) appeared in the NOTW: Coulson admitted it was mistake | ||
Coulson said that the omissions from Blunkett story were to prevent him from having to resign. | ||
Prosecution say all Coulson wanted was a “salacious story” and “that’s all that was printed in NOTW” | ||
Coulson said he did ask someone to find out if Mulcaire was involved in Blunkett story after Mulcaire’s arrest. | ||
Coulson admitted he was “disingenuous” and told a “deliberate untruth”: Saunders asks jury to consider whether this is a synonym for lying | ||
There was no disciplinary action against Thurlbeck: Coulson saw Lord Black head of the PCC at the time, and did not tell or ask advice. | ||
Coulson’s evidence is that he thought Blunkett hacking was a “one off” but wishes he’d done more about it in hindsight. | ||
Saunders talks of Coulson’s School of Excellence – a think tank included “dangers of dark arts” – was that how hacking was described he asks | ||
Coulson’s evidence is that the dark arts didn’t include phone hacking. Prosecution say his lack of action shows he knew what was going on | ||
Coulson admits the first time he mentioned knowing about the Blunkett hack was at this trial: and that he wouldn’t have got Number 10 job | ||
Saunders addresses Langdale’s point about NI lawyer – and lack of indictment showed prosecution changed its case. | ||
Saunders makes clear to jury that they should ignore implication by Langdale that NI lawyer was not involved in a criminal conspiracy. | ||
Saunders talks of Brooks involvement with Blunkett: she made clear to Blunkett’s SPAD she was going to name Quinn, but not resigning matter | ||
Evans said he had not much choice. The Sun ran an ‘exclusive’ on the Monday naming Quinn: where did they get it from? | ||
Prosecution suggest Sun named Quinn, because they didn’t want non NI paper to get it first. | ||
Brooks evidence was that the contact with Coulson before Blunkett was not about story “they had other personal things to talk about” | ||
Brooks’ evidence was that she knew Blunkett as a friend, and an NI married one of Blunkett’s advisors and a close friend. | ||
Brooks’ evidence was that there were ‘cuts’ from other papers which suggested the Blunkett/Quinn affair in Observer and Mail. | ||
“If cuts had been sufficient to stand the story up it is likely, you may think, that other papers would have run it” Saunders on Blunkett | ||
Blunkett resigned over a different matter later. Spectator falsely suggested Blunkett was source. Evans released transcript of Coulson tape | ||
Evans said Coulson rang him and shouted at him for releasing Blunkett/Coulson conversation transcript. | ||
Kuttner rang Simon Hoggart about story of affair with Quinn: prosecution say Kuttner “had to know” the source of the story. | ||
Saunders points out “that it’s clear a number of NI executives” knew about Blunkett voicemail hacking, Kuttner says he didn’t | ||
Hoggart’s voicemails recovered from News International safe. | ||
Blunkett met Sally Anderson in 2005 – Mulcaire tasked to hack, voicemails and information about his Blunkett voicemails recovered. | ||
Sally Anderson went to Max Clifford, and played him Blunkett voicemail which he recorded – he sold to other papers. | ||
Blunkett did not have a sexual relationship with Anderson. He left message berating press. He didn’t know Clifford had sold to Sunday People | ||
Saunder suggests that Sally Anderson caused Blunkett a lot of “distress”… “she set him up” said Langdale. | ||
“There are a series of facts about Sally Anderson… none of that excuses phone hacking” says Saunders. | ||
Evidence of Hacking relating to Charles Clarke | ||
“It was not Delia Smith‘s cooking this was concerned with” but her role in Norwich City explains Saunders of phone hacking celebrity chef. | ||
“The timelines are worth reading through” says Saunders to jury as he turns to the Charles Clarke/Hannah Pawlby hacking. | ||
Saunders reminds the jury that he had to remind Charles Clarke to pause for breath – used to being interviewed by Paxman and Humphrys | ||
Saunders explains Pawlby’s role as SPAD and press communications, and Clarke’s evidence how press is useful for getting messages across | ||
Clarke said that contact with editors was normally reserved for party conferences. | ||
Clarke occasionally dined with Brooks, but had a particularly close relationship with another NOTW exec going back to 1992 | ||
Pawlby liaised with press for Clarke – mainly dealt with Ian Kirby at NOTW, but occasionally Coulson | ||
17/04/05 Mulcaire tasked by Miskiw to hack Hannah Pawlby: an email between various NOTW departments talk about false ‘Pawlby’ tip | ||
“News have been working for a while on this through Neville” says internal NOTW about Pawlby. | ||
Saunders cites the reference to Neville having Hannah Pawlby’s phone number: prosecution say hacking. Defence say merely for contact. | ||
Saunders talks to the jury about being over suspicious: Coulson leaves two messages on Pawlby’s phone which she never hears. | ||
Pawlby never hears these messages left by Coulson because Mulcaire hacked them, and they went into the saved box. | ||
Coulson calls Pawlby twice on the same day. Saunders asks whether it’s about affair or something else. | ||
Coulson made two calls around the same time – HO press office, and out of hours emergency number. | ||
Saunders reminds the jury that anti bullying campaign in NOTW was related to Clarke. ID cards was also a live issue that weekend. | ||
Ronnie Biggs was also live that weekend – and NOTW article suggest contact with Home Office. | ||
Trevor Kavanagh from the Sun contacted Clarke about false affair rumours. Gossip columnist from Sun called Pawlby saying would run story | ||
“You will have to decide what Coulson was trying to contact Charles Clarke about that Saturday” says Saunders of those hacked voicemails | ||
Saunders cites surveillance emails about Pawlby from Thurlbeck “nothing new on the message front” he writes. | ||
Coulson says he wouldn’t have confronted Clarke himself, would leave to another NOTW exec. He can’t remember what message to Pawlby about | ||
“Working backwards… he said the most likely reason was the release of Ronnie Biggs” says Saunders of Coulson’s evidence on calling Pawlby | ||
Langdale says that had Coulson known about hacking, he would have made sure no hacking took place to cause his messages to Pawlby to be saved | ||
Jude Law and Sienna Miller timeline now addressed by Saunders at #hackingtrial summing up – also involves Jade Schmidt | ||
The Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Daniel Craig Story | ||
Saunders points out that the jury timeline only concerns the news desk hacking of Law/Miller/Craig – and not NOTW features desk hacking | ||
“There was a considerably amount of phone hacking going on at NOTW, you may think” Saunders tells the jury of rivalry from news and features | ||
Saunders runs through Law’s Oscar winning career: “we like to read about them over our cornflakes… the stories sell newspapers” | ||
Jade Schmidt offered 100k for her story about Law “which as far as we know she never took up” says Saunders to #hackingtrial | ||
Saunders explains the targeting of Law’s US agents and the US mobiles loaned to him by the studio. | ||
Saunders goes through recurrent stories about Sienna Miller and Jude Law which “appeared in the paper on a regular basis” | ||
The ‘Layer Fake’ article in NOTW revealed Miller/Craig affair. Law “rang Daniel Craig to express his views in no uncertain terms” | ||
Law said he did not leave a message for Craig though. Saunders points out that NOTW had several other human sources for the story | ||
Law said in court he was aware in 2011 that family members were approached for stories by NOTW, but not aware till trial they were paid | ||
Saunders points out the various people around Law and Miller were hacked by Mulcaire, and NOTW NI landline | ||
There are non hacking details in Mulcaire’s notebook about this story during Brooks’ editorship of NOTW. | ||
Saunders says it looks like the news desk were pursuing Archie Keswick and Sienna Miller – various taskings by another NOTW journo | ||
Details of Sienna Miller include her default PIN. Various articles about her and Archie Keswick appear in NOTW. | ||
In 2006 the nanny Jade Schmidt was targeted – now James Weatherup appears in Mulcaire tasking: he offered Schmidt up to £100k | ||
That’s just the news department. Dan Evans was hacking on behalf of NOTW features. | ||
Saunders explains defence case on Evans – he has a motive to get off further charges, and that he is an ‘unreliable witness’ | ||
The Evidence of Dan Evans | ||
Saunders now goes through the story of Dan Evans – suspended in 2009 for hacking Kelly Hoppen: suspended by NI after NYT article. | ||
Evans was arrested in 2011. He pleaded guilty this year to both phone hacking at NOTW and the Sunday Mirror. | ||
Evans has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. Also charged with perverting the course of justice. | ||
Dan Evans pleaded guilty to making a false statement in civil cases over the Kelly Hoppen hacking. | ||
Evans instructed Peter and Peters “a well known criminal solicitors” – Saunders then apologises if this could be misinterpreted. | ||
Saunders goes through Evans dealing with his first firm of solicitors and the possibility of a full immunity deal (Socpa 71) | ||
Section 73 provides a reduced sentence for co-operation with police. | ||
Saunders goes through the complex of immunity: Evans had a ‘inducement’ to implicate others “but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true” | ||
Defence suggest that Evans took every opportunity to attack Coulson, and did not mention some hacking. | ||
The first police interview with Evans was not under caution, but was a ‘scoping interview’ | ||
Evans told the police he wanted to “clear the slate… and look my kids in the eye and tell them when they need to be honest” | ||
Evans did implicate senior people from the Sunday Mirror and the NOTW in his initial scoping interviews. | ||
CPS needed a complete waiver of legal privilege for the SOCPA process: Dan Evans agreed hoping for full immunity – rejected partial offer | ||
Solicitors advised Evans to reject the deal, but it was his decision. Defence say this doesn’t sound like a “clean slate” | ||
Evans changed solictors. Section 73 revisited. Mr Nott wrote to CPS about ‘misunderstanding’. Evans did a sentence reduction deal. | ||
Saunders tells the jury that it’s up to them to consider how this SOCPA deal effects Dan Evans’ evidence, particularly in relation 2 Coulson | ||
Defence say Evans’ detailed story about Daniel Craig and Sienna Miller is a ‘complete fabrication’ and came from Sunday Mirror time. | ||
Evans evidence was that he was very unhappy at the phone hacking he had to do at Sunday Mirror. He worked with Weatherup at S Mirror. | ||
Evans claims that Weatherup tried to recruit him to NOTW in 2004 – he was sent contract which he didn’t sign: got Sunday Mirror pay rise. | ||
Evans met with a “bombastic” senior NOTW exec. Finally recruited by NOTW journo “kiss and tell king” at Weatherup’s leaving do | ||
Dan Evans spoke to senior NOTW journo about internal rivalries between news and features: Evans had his own list of hacking targets. | ||
Defence say that if Evans didn’t want to hack, why join NOTW? A fabrication. Evans met Coulson at 1 Aldwych, he was offered job. 05/01/05 | ||
Evans contact list of phone hacking target is in a jury bundle. Evans has marked up target he hacked, or attempted to hack. | ||
Evans says he did “in excess of 1000 phone hacks” in a year at NOTW, mainly using ‘double taps’ – two phones to trigger voicemail. | ||
Saunders runs through Evans’ claim that he had two burners for phone hacking: jury shown the expenses invoice from News International | ||
Evans’ two Nokia phones and SIM cards authorised by NOTW shown to jury: invoice put in false name, even though filed by NI to Evans | ||
Evans says he used false name because it was dodgy: Saunders says someone in the Managing Editors department might have seen and asked why | ||
Evans became rather ‘careless’ using personal mobile and NI landline which could be traced rather than his ‘burners’ | ||
Evans used tracing agents for phone numbers, and also for billing records, using ‘pretext blagging’ – to look for indications of affairs. | ||
Evans said NOTW needed ‘deniability’ over hacking – so they would offer money to one of the parties “that how tabloid journalism worked” | ||
Evan says phone hacking was discussed everyday with a senior NOTW journalist using the terms “checks” and “special checks” | ||
Saunders adduces senior NOTW journalist to Coulson about Kelly Hoppen “including special checks Dan Evans has made” | ||
To Evans “checks” was tracing agents: “special checks” was a code for phone hacking. | ||
Evans evidence was that other journalists knew, and were involved, but they hid it from PAs and other staff. | ||
Prosecution rely on Evans statement “even the office cat knew”: defence say “where is the Office Cat?” and why others haven’t come forward | ||
Saunders tells the jury to weigh this question: “are there a lot of people out there who know about phone hacking and haven’t come forwad?” | ||
Saunders goes through the hacks by Evans of Kelly Hoppen’s phone: two on 18/07/05 Defence say too brief | ||
Evans changed his evidence on the Kelly Hoppen hack – it could have been from one of Sienna Miller‘s sisters rather than her. | ||
Defence case is that Evan’s article on Kelly Hoppen can’t all be from a short phone hack: Evans’ said cuts and ‘imaginative’ story telling. | ||
Defence case is that this information came from ‘sources’: Evans says this is ‘poetic licence to disguise illegal activity’ | ||
Sienna Miller‘s evidence is that she would have talked to Kelly Hoppen about her problems with Law, but doesn’t think she would have cried | ||
The defence say this means Evans was lying, and that ‘special checks’ reference is not actually about hacking. | ||
Defence also say NOTW email about ‘special checks’ would not be broadcast so widely if it meant phone hacking. | ||
Quarter of an hour break and then Justice Saunders will finish off the Sienna Miller Jude Law timeline. | ||
Saunders talks about Dan Evans’ unhappiness at NOTW, drinking and using drugs, but had a child and needed the money | ||
Evans says he received an email telling him to jump off a cliff if he didn’t get a story: email hasn’t survived, but many are missing. | ||
Jury help Saunders the ‘Layer Flake’ story, and evidence that another NOTW journo’s ‘exclusive interview’ about Miller and Law. | ||
Miller’s evidence is that this exclusive NOTW interview had been ‘made up’ by the journalist concerned. | ||
Miller said it was not unusual to be asked for a photo. She told NOTW to give Jude Law a break, but that was as a human, not for publication | ||
Saunders goes through the marriage of Sienna Miller‘s sister Savannah: Jude Law didn’t go to marriage but reception, then Cliveden. | ||
Miller said she was a regular at the Groucho. Evans had hacked many people around Miller, including Daniel Craig. | ||
Evans’ evidence is that he heard Miller voice mail to Craig: “Can’t speak. I’m with Jude at the Groucho. I love you” | ||
Evans said he identified Miller from number on his palm pilot. But he had newer number – he must be lying. | ||
Saunders says Evans could have had Miller’s previous number which he just updated with new number after hacking – but we just don’t know | ||
Saunders runs through Evans claim he told Coulson about Craig voicemail: he says NOTW exec said “you’re a company man now” | ||
Evans said that Coulson said “brilliant” – or words to that effect. He claims Coulson told him to make copy, and deliver at front gate. | ||
This ruse of putting a safe copy of Craig voicemail in a Jiffy bag was to make it look like it came from member of the public, alleged Evans | ||
Saunders goes through email evidence that suggests Evans destroyed original Sienna Miller voicemail tape. | ||
“Defence put in clear terms to Mr Evans that he lied about all of this” says Saunders. | ||
Contemporaneous phone records indicate Evans was working on other things – including Jeff Brazier, Jade Goody’s boyfriend. | ||
Evans explanation was that he would have been hacking Daniel Craig to make sure no developments for story. | ||
When challenged on date of meeting with Coulson, Evans said it must have been a different date. | ||
Evans says that though the story came from voicemail, there were other sources. | ||
“Evans’ account does get some support from Sienna Miller,” says Saunders: “though misconstrued… she always said I love you” to friends | ||
Saunders talks of other sources on the Miller/Law/Craig story – there are three numbered in another internal NOTW email. | ||
Evans doorstepped Daniel Craig. Craig denied the Miller story. More work was done on the NOTW article. Evans hacked Craig some more. | ||
Evans says he transcribed a voicemail allegedly left by Jude Law to Daniel Craig “Thanks mate” about Saski, Craig’s mobile. | ||
A number of different drafts in Miller/Craig story – the final version explicit about the affair. No doubt backing up from sources. | ||
An employee of Jude Law’s and PR person working for him both transcribed as sources on this story. | ||
The Miller/Craig story was run through the Jude Law PR team before publication, Justice Saunders reminds the jury. | ||
‘Sienna Cheating on Jude’ gets a pretty big spread on NOTW edition, but a Frank Bruno buy-up dominates the front page. | ||
Dan Evans says he got a story about Steve Gerrard’s new baby from phone hacking: many senior NOTW figures knew about his hacking, he said. | ||
The hacking of Barbara Broccoli voicemail about new Bond Girl explored. | ||
“It’s not disputed Mr Evans was hacking at NOTW” says Saunders “the question is whether Mr Coulson knew about it” | ||
Defence say Evans has fabricated a hack to implicate Coulson. Prosecution say why would he need to, hacking well documented. | ||
After Goodman’s arrest, Evans told “no more hooky stuff” and he disposed of tapes and notes – the only thing he kept was target list. | ||
22/06/09 Evans got caught hacking Kelly Hoppen’s phone when she applied to Vodafone with a court order. | ||
Evans was confronted by Bill Akass: he allowed no by-lines. In 2010, NYT article published. Evans put on gardening leave till NOTW closed | ||
Coulson’s Evidence on Evans Hacking | ||
Coulson’s evidence is that he knew nothing about Evans’ hacking. He was never played Sienna Miller message. | ||
Coulson said he thought the information on the story came from three source – he knew one of them. He didn’t know about ‘special checks’ | ||
Coulson was aware of Savannah Miller’s wedding. | ||
Coulson’s evidence was that he was at Labour Party conference during the alleged ‘jiffy bag’ moment with Dan Evans. | ||
Coulson said he was at Brighton until a black tie event in London on the Wednesday evening. | ||
Coulson says he cannot remember a number of appointments with cabinet ministers on the Wednesday, because same Brighton venue that year | ||
The diary evidence is that these appointments for 18/09/05 meetings with Cabinet Ministers have both a tick and a CXL cancel. | ||
Prosecution say that Sharrier’s evidence about CXL is unreliable, and she was untruthful about cash payments. | ||
Defence says this was “very unfair” criticism of Sharrier “who they invite you to consider was a palpably honest witness” | ||
It was during this time Mulcaire was hacking Sally Anderson. | ||
Prosecution say that Coulson could have returned on the Wednesday – Evans has simply got the day wrong: he “thought it was Tuesday” | ||
Defence say Evans has lied and was “untruthfully” trying to involve “big players” in order to get immunity. | ||
Coulson said he was focused on Frank Bruno story rather than Sienna Miller that week. | ||
“You’ll have to make up your mind. Is this a fabrication by Evans?” Justice Saunders asks the jury. | ||
Miller says it’s possible. Dan Evans got the by line for this story. Defence say he is “lying through his teeth” | ||
Eunice Huthart, former Gladiators star and body double for Angela Jolie in Mrs and Mrs Smith – her pin changed by Mulcaire tasked by Neville | ||
Huthart also appeared on Mulcaire’s target list – as a source of source about Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt. | ||
The Hacking of Mark Oaten and Laura Rooney | ||
Mark Oaten hacking timeline also run through briefly by Justice Saunders. | ||
Oaten was hacked by Mulcaire, and possibly by NI private line. | ||
NOTW also obtained records of Oaten’s phone calls to trace his connections with Chadwick – who sold story to NOTW for £25k | ||
Oaten story published 29/01/06 | ||
Saunders talks about Wayne Rooney‘s footballing skills – hoping they are much in evidence this summer. Laura Rooney mistaken for family | ||
Break for lunch. And now – unfortunately – obligatory pitch for my book: The Inside Story of the Phone Hacking Trial http://www.hackingtrial.com | ||
The Calum Best Story | ||
Saunders is now on the Calum Best/Laura Hogan timeline: a well rehearsed series of events at the #hackingtrial | ||
While Justice Saunders is summing up – time to big up my summers up every day @JonLippitt and @thetuftii | ||
Saunders outlines Laura Hogan’s NOTW payments from Chris Tate for celebrity gossip – sometimes gave up to £10k | ||
Calum Best was a celebrity did have a relationship with the press, but did not give them permission to hack his voicemail. | ||
Best got £2k from NOTW about having sex with another celebrity in a night club. Also paid for a story about his father George Best. | ||
“No one’s suggesting” says Saunders, that all NOTW stories came solely for phone hacking. | ||
Best had a professional relationship with another NOTW journalist – Mulcaire was tasked to hack NOTW journalist and Calum Best. | ||
Best stayed in a hotel with Laura Hogan the night before his father’s funeral in 2006: she got paid for a story of him being late to funeral | ||
Hogan was paid for NOTW over the story of her pregnancy by Best – she provided a scan for the paper. | ||
NOTW commissioned call data over the Hogan Best relationship. | ||
Saunders addresses the “appalling lack of kiss and tells… where are the new stories?” from Coulson, discovered late in the day. | ||
Langdale says the reference to Best “scraping the bottom of the barrel” or Prosecution case that he’s important. | ||
Saunders says this debate between prosecution and defence over importance of Calum Best might not be ultimately significant. | ||
Prosecution suggest calls from an unknown mobile number talking to another NOTW journo was an investigation about leaks. | ||
Hogan provided the scan of her baby with Calum Best: a series of texts and calls on 19 and 20/05/06 between Best and NOTW journo | ||
The other number NOTW journalist contacted was AD Phelan. 19/05/06 Best texted Hogan “how can you be so low” about selling scan. | ||
Best cannot remember how he knew NOTW was going to publish story of LORNA Hogan’s scan. | ||
When Hogan got angry texts from Calum Best, she showed them to Chris Tate who photographed them. | ||
An email from Chris Tate to NOTW details those texts from Best: Hogan threatened to go to Max Clifford because of the leaks from NOTW | ||
Saunders goes through the unserved email from Tate: defence say it’s important because it explains Coulson’s ‘Do His Phone’ email. | ||
Prosecution say ‘Do his Phone’ is clearly an instruction to hack, whoever is the victim. But they have to be talking of Best “Calum a leak” | ||
Coulson says the “instruction do his phone was an instruction to check billing data” of a NOTW journo leaking stories. | ||
Saunders repeats Coulson’s assertion was unaware of any previous checks on NOTW journos | ||
Coulson was unclear about the legality of analysing phone traffic “a grey area” in data protection. | ||
Coulson can only remember what Do HIs Phone actually meant until he say this email, and cannot recall any results. | ||
“Would ‘Do His Phone’ mean anything?” asks Saunders. He points out that it occurs only once in Mulcaire notes “Do both mobiles” | ||
There is no evidence of hack on NOTW journalist, or Calum Best after this email. Also no evidence of call data billing. | ||
“You think “Calum” a leak” says defence, is reference to story not the person. | ||
The Hacking of Tessa Jowell and John Prescott | ||
Tessa Jowell and David Mills timeline now looked at, over allegations Mills gave false evidence over Signor Berlusconi. | ||
Jowell hacked 29 times by Mulcaire. David Mills also hacked. There is an undated tasking. First hacked in June 2005 | ||
There is a tape of recorded voicemail and additional invoices from Mulcaire for hacking Tessa Jowell. | ||
An email from Mulcaire to NOTW outlines the information needed to hacking Jowell and Mills. | ||
This is one of three emails that closed News of the World – subject Tessa, mobile, mailbox, PIN, “she looks like she’s selling up” | ||
This is one of three emails that came to light in Sienna Miller case – Brooks shown in December 2010, handed to police in Jan 2011 | ||
The Lord Prescott timeline now explored by Saunders: both NOTW and Mail on Sunday competing for the kiss and tell story of Tracey Temple | ||
Mulcaire was tasked to hack Temple and Prescott aide: he did hack Sebastian Hamilton and Dennis Rice working on story for Mail on Sunday | ||
Saunders goes to the email chain from NOTW offering Tracey Temple £100k for her Prescott story. | ||
On the hacking of Rice and Hamilton, prosecution say NOTW hacked them to add to their own story: “a lot of the spoiler…. got from hacking” | ||
Coulson’s evidence was that this was a traditional NOTW spoiler, to be matched with new details when Mail on Sunday story was published | ||
Saunders goes through the ‘Prezza the Sex Diaries’ – though splashed is only 2 pages in first edition: expanded to 4 pages on second edition | ||
“It’s actually called a ‘spoiler’ in emails” says Saunders, and that phone hacking gave them more information than they originally had. | ||
“Did Mr Coulson know what was going on? Or was it done without his knowledge” asks Saunders. There’s no evidence first story had no hacking | ||
“Does it matter… The hacking was going on. The question is did Mr Coulson know about it” says Saunders in relation to Prescott Sex Diaries | ||
Most of hacks of MoS journalists done on NI landline, some from Mulcaire. | ||
“There’s so much hacking going on that Mulcaire sent an email… Overload: NO MORE PLEASE” points out Saunders about 2006 at NOTW | ||
“Prosecution say poor Mr Mulcaire couldn’t even deal with the amount of phone hacking” says Saunders. Temple went to Max Clifford for deal | ||
Lord Frederick Windsor timeline now explored at #hackingtrial: hacks confirmed, various NOTW emails trying to track him down. | ||
An email from Mulcaire to NOTW is another one of three emails that initiated Operation Weeting along with Joan Hammill, Prescott Aide. | ||
The Evidence of Eimear Cook | ||
Now onto the Paul McCartney and Heather Mills timeline: separated in May 2006: phones of three associates were hacked | ||
Chris Terrell was one of the four targets around Mills. No evidence of successful hacks in 2002 – but only successful in 2005 | ||
“The prosecution point out no phone records remain, but the fact remains there is no positive evidence” of hacking Mills/McCartney in 2002 | ||
Saunders talks about the ‘Feud of the Rings’ story – the only evidence is Eimear Cook’s recollection of Brooks telling her. | ||
Laidlaw said Cook was such a liar the prosecution shouldn’t have called her. Prosecution say she made a mistake about the date of meeting | ||
Defence suggest Eimear Cook lied about media contact, and Laidlaw had financial and personal motives against Rebekah Brooks. | ||
“Consider all those matters when you review that evidence” says Saunders of lunch between the Manoukians, Brooks and Eimear Cook. | ||
Eimear Cook had been through an acrimonious divorce with Colin Montgomerie. Brooks came to lunch to help Cook over media coverage | ||
Cook “clearly had difficulty remembering date” but from Brooks diary, there is no doubt now about timing of meeting. | ||
Rafi Manoukian said it’s unlikely they would have left during the conversation – Cook said they were there throughout meeting with Brooks | ||
Cook’s evidence is that they discussed celebrities, including Kate Moss losing a celebrity contract. | ||
Cook claims Brooks talked about the assault on Ross Kemp, and explaining it to her boss Rupert Murdoch. | ||
Cook was told she was making it up because event happened weeks after this meeting. | ||
IN Cook’s evidence Brooks had talked about ease of phone hacking, and went into the Mills McCartney ring story immediately afterwards. | ||
Jo Manoukian’s evidence was she didn’t know Eimear Cook very well, but she knew Brooks’ quite well. | ||
In Jo Manoukian’s evidence “I do not recall phone hacking being talked about”: Rafi Manoukian talked of holidays abroad with the Brooks’ | ||
Rafi Manoukian confirmed he wasn’t at the dinner for the whole time, because he went out to have a smoke and it’s a big house. | ||
The writer of the Macca Ring story, Annette Witheridge, says the story was sourced from someone at the hotel in the US. | ||
Cook was also asked about features in Hello Magazine – she said she always tried to have a private life, found intrusion “very distressing” | ||
Cook says one of the articles was written when she was together with Montgomerie: another was a fashion shoot and did not relate to family | ||
Cook says a Mail article about her after divorce hearing was completely fabricated. | ||
To the assertion she was lying, Cook said she had no reason to lie, the police came to her: she didn’t know Brooks conversation an issue | ||
Brooks’ evidence was that she hadn’t met Cook before, and “she wasn’t a Sun type person” – was looking for better coverage of divorce. | ||
Brooks’ evidence is that Cook claimed her ex had been violent towards her: Sun was running a campaign against domestic violence. | ||
Brooks said she needed evidence of domestic violence to run Cook story, but Cook never provided any. | ||
Annette Witheridge’s evidence was that the Macca Ring story all came from her visit to the US hotel – she billed £6k | ||
The Evidence of Ambi Sitham | ||
Ambi Sitham was also accused of lying in her evidence. A former solicitor who worked for Schillings, then in house for Miramax. | ||
“Sitham is now a life coach and author – she had a blog and she tweets,” explains Justice Saunders. | ||
Sitham represented Naomi Campbell on a privacy case against Piers Morgan and his paper which went to appeal. | ||
Sitham gave evidence of attending a Coulson Birthday Party in Balham, thought 2003, but then confirmed 2004. | ||
Sitham said she drank 1.5 glasses of wine “and didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of most powerful media people” | ||
Sitham met Brooks for the first time at dinner party, and talked with Piers Morgan who she had met before. | ||
Brooks and Morgan were both editors of the leading tabloids at the time. Both made lots of calls over “splashes” Sitham said. | ||
“They were exchanging banter… Morgan said he knew of Brooks’s front pages” as they joked about hacking phones and emails in 2004 | ||
Sitham said she wasn’t sure the comments were serious or not -it was “pointed” and “she felt uncomfortable” according to Saunders. | ||
Sitham have several conversations with her ex Neil Reading about this encounter: it became awkward when she made statement to Leveson | ||
Sitham wrote a blog about this encounter which had appeared in the Huffington Post about the “wisdom of truth” and “red flag” of this convo | ||
Sitham came forward during the Leveson campaign – she met Hugh Grant, Evan Harris and Nick Davies about this incident. | ||
Sitham denied her account was fictionalised, and that she only came forward for moral reasons. | ||
Sitham was given “as a person in the media” who wanted to talk about hacking. | ||
Saunders cites Evan Harris’ email to Sitham about contemporaneous records, and redacting any names. | ||
Harris talked about decent media impact. Sitham was accused of seeking publicity. Nothing wrong with Hacked Off being involved says Saunders | ||
Sitham’s reply cited “you all saw how scared I was…. and the volume of vitriol coming my way…. it’s taken a lot to talk to you” | ||
Sitham said she “had nothing to gain from this… and expected a backlash… how scared she’d been…. stomach ulcers, sleepless nights” | ||
Brooks said she could not remember Sitham conversation | ||
Saunders asks “is Sitham a self seeking publicist or bravely standing up against powerful people?” | ||
Saunders says, if Sitham is true, it shows phone hacking was much more known, and two leading editors willing to joke about it. | ||
The Hacking of Gordon Taylor | ||
Saunders now gallops onto the Gordon Taylor hacking in 2006 by Muclaire: 76 recorded messages found at Mulcaire’s house. | ||
The Gordon Taylor voicemails were transcribed and sent to Miskiw, Mulcaire, Thurlbeck, Weatherup and Hibley. | ||
“It may simply be a coincidence” says Saunders, but Taylor transcripts sent before Mulcaire budget reduction was abandoned. | ||
This led to the ‘For Neville’ documents broken by press in 2009 | ||
The Gordon Taylor story was never published: Coulson said “he knew nothing of transcripts being sent to senior executives in London” | ||
As the jury return, Saunders goes over the 2002 Mulcaire “do both mobiles” – never really examined much in evidence. | ||
Langdale had said there was no other evidence of “do his phone” language – a long time elapsed before “do both mobiles” from Mulcaire | ||
“If you think they’re alike” says Saunders of “do”: “is this a phrase that is somehow in currency? Is it a term of art?” | ||
The Hacking of Royal Phones | ||
Helen Asprey timeline explored – hacked frequently by Goodman and Mulcaire for 17 months. | ||
Justice Saunders explains some of the voicemail tapes – for example Tania Still and the commissioning of a painting. | ||
Clive Goodman‘s NOTW BlackAdder column said Tania Still had been commissioned for a painting, though she hadn’t | ||
Justice Saunders runs over Goodman’s hacking of Asprey – starting in the beginning of 2005 thanks to Miskiw he said in evidence. | ||
There’s a suggestion that original Asprey hacking began in 2003 – around 18th June: after Brooks has left NOTW | ||
Goodman didn’t know how Miskiw was getting the stories through Mulcaire until 2005. | ||
Saunders goes through Miskiw and Goodman emails which detail hacking of Helen Asprey – and related stories like Prince Harry injuries. | ||
Defence say the Mulcaire and Goodman were in direct contact prior to October 2005 and the Alexander payments | ||
Goodman did accept in cross examination that there was contact with Mulcaire prior to 2005 – they are tasking details going back to 1999 | ||
Another Van Cutsem tasking to Mulcaire by Goodman wasn’t to do with phone hacking he told the jury. | ||
Saunders refers to an email about Harverson’s phone being “massively pass word protected”: Coulson says he didn’t read this email | ||
Saunders asks jury to consider whether this “massively password protected” email signifies phone hacking was regularly talked about at NOTW | ||
Saunders runs through Goodman’s evidence on the Alexander Projects, to hack Royal Aides: paid for through managerial editor’s budget. | ||
Saunders goes back to Goodman’s legal Proof of Evidence after his arrest in 2006. | ||
Goodman says that Coulson knew the product of the Alexander project was phone hacking. Saunders goes to the Prince Harry homework story | ||
Goodman wrote to NOTW journalist that Coulson had a “full briefing” on Prince Harry homework story and said “steam in” | ||
Transcripts of Harry phone messages are sent by Goodman two days after he apparently told Coulson – defence say he couldn’t have briefed Ed | ||
Saunders says story from phone hack: Goodman did talk to Coulson about the story. He asks jury to consider if date he sent himself important | ||
Saunders cites an email from Goodman to Coulson about cutting Mulcaire contract | ||
Defence say Goodman’s terms about “devastating about my network” clearly means human sources. | ||
Goodman’s paragraph about “Matey” is more consistent with phone hacking being the source say prosecution: jury will have to consider. | ||
Saunders turns to the “beagling” story and Prince William, obtained by Goodman – NOTW sent photographers to catch him with Kate Middleton | ||
This “beagling” voicemail from Prince William was found at Clive Goodman‘s address. | ||
‘So Silly Willy’ story in NOTW cited by Saunders – Coulson says he did not know these stories were the result of voicemails. | ||
Saunders: We now know that Goodman was hacking the phones of other people | ||
Saunders says “it’s generally accepted” that Goodman’s failure to remember the hacking of Princes Harry, William and Kate Middleton. | ||
Saunders says that Goodman’s further hacks were after accepted Alexander payments: e.g. 21/09/05 Kate Middleton 15/04/06 Prince Harry | ||
Goodman says he was never asked by this extra phone hacking by police, and never charged by CPS. | ||
Goodman suggested he wasn’t prosecuted for hacking royal princes because “they didn’t want to embarrass Royal Family” | ||
Because they failed to prosecute over these additional hacks in 2006, the CPS has said they will take no further action against Goodman | ||
Coulson’s evidence is that he had no idea any idea that Goodman got this Royal Stories from phone hacking. | ||
Saunders canters through the payment evidence on confidential Alexander payments to Mulcaire – Kuttner did not approve of false names. | ||
Justice Saunders goes through the emails from Clive Goodman that outline payments to Palace Cops. | ||
Kuttner had no recollection of any conversation with Goodman and Coulson about initiating or terminating Mulcaire’s Alexander Payments. | ||
“Not brain dead yet?” Saunders asks the jury of all these timelines: “I think my brain may be dead” he jokes and continues with P Harverson. | ||
Saunders now goes through The Lord Archer timeline, who was of interest to NOTW and other members of the press | ||
Mulcaire tasked by Thurlbeck and Miskiw – tapes from Archer contacts retrieved from Neville Thurlbeck’s desk when arrested. | ||
“Three editors may have been involved in hacking of Lord Archer” says Saunders. | ||
“Nigel Farage, much in the news in the moment” is explored by Saunders, mainly alleged affair with Liga Howells. Farages’ PIN reset | ||
There’s a recording of Mulcaire calling o2 and resetting the PIN for Nigel Farage. | ||
Saunders runs through the Mark Dyer phone hacking now. | ||
Goodman said he started hacking Mark Dyer in October 2005. | ||
Eimear Cook was in press a lot accused of having affairs: she was hacked but no direct stories. | ||
Kerry Katona timeline summarised: “NOTW very interested in her and her exciting lifestyle”: Miskiw involved at Mercury Press. | ||
Jamie Lowther Pinkerton hacked both by Goodman and Mulcaire – began immediately after Alexander Project set up. | ||
Tom Parker Bowles hacked, with involvement from both Goodman and Weatherup: reference to “dark arts” in a related email | ||
Goodman emails Weatherup about Parker Bowles, “got a mobile, getting Greg to do some ‘dark arts'”: Saunders: “What do dark arts mean here?” | ||
That ends Count One, Saunders tells the jury. Tomorrow he hopes to do the bulk of the other evidence. “See you tomorrow” he says. |
Note: All the defendants deny all the charges. The trial continues.
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The Route to Verdict: Justice Saunders Directions to the Hacking Trial Jury
Those Rogue Reporter Emails
Stuart Kuttner Emails to Surrey Police over Milly Dowler
Kuttner Notes of Conversation with Goodman Just After his Arrest
Some of the Mysteries of Phone Hacking – Unlocked
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