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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/23/fake-sheikh-tulisa-contostavlos-mazher-mahmood-old-baily-trial
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| 'Fake Sheikh' says he felt confused by Tulisa drugs trial questioning | 'Fake Sheikh' says he felt confused by Tulisa drugs trial questioning |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The undercover journalist known as the “Fake Sheikh” told police that his evidence in the drugs trial of the pop singer Tulisa Contostavlos may have seemed inconsistent because he felt “steamrollered” by the questioning, a court has heard. | |
| Mazher Mahmood, 53, and his driver Alan Smith, 67, are accused of altering a statement made to police that suggested the former N-Dubz singer and X Factor judge disapproved of drugs. Mahmood was questioned by police in September 2014 – two months after the Contostavlos trial was stayed. | |
| The case was halted when Mahmood – who was giving evidence against Contostavlos, having carried out a newspaper sting alleging she had arranged for him to be sold drugs – revealed that he had discussed Smith’s witness statement with the driver. | The case was halted when Mahmood – who was giving evidence against Contostavlos, having carried out a newspaper sting alleging she had arranged for him to be sold drugs – revealed that he had discussed Smith’s witness statement with the driver. |
| Smith’s original account given to police of when he drove Contostavlos home from a meeting with Mahmood, said the singer “seemed really negative about cocaine and expressed her disapproval of drugs”, but he changed the statement the next day, removing the anti-drugs passage. | |
| Mahmood, who at an earlier hearing had said under oath that he had not discussed the singer’s comments in the car, explained the apparent inconsistency in his evidence by saying he had not discussed the detail of the statement, merely that Smith was unhappy with it. | |
| At the Old Bailey on Friday, the court was read a transcript of Mahmood’s interview at Charing Cross police station. The reporter, accompanied by his lawyer, had read a prepared statement and refused to answer any questions afterwards. | At the Old Bailey on Friday, the court was read a transcript of Mahmood’s interview at Charing Cross police station. The reporter, accompanied by his lawyer, had read a prepared statement and refused to answer any questions afterwards. |
| In it, he said that after two days of questioning from the prosecution and defence, “I was thoroughly confused. I was doing my best to answer the questions but was steamrollered into answers. | In it, he said that after two days of questioning from the prosecution and defence, “I was thoroughly confused. I was doing my best to answer the questions but was steamrollered into answers. |
| “It felt like all sides were trying to discredit me and it was a difficult and uncomfortable experience.” | “It felt like all sides were trying to discredit me and it was a difficult and uncomfortable experience.” |
| Mahmood said any inconsistency was unintentional. He denied lying under oath or encouraging Smith to change his statement, claiming the driver had sent him a copy of his statement despite Mahmood not requesting it. | |
| The reporter said he spoke to Smith on the phone after receiving the document, but it was to discuss a future investigation, not the statement. However, Mahmood claimed that Smith then raised the issue of the statement during the conversation. | The reporter said he spoke to Smith on the phone after receiving the document, but it was to discuss a future investigation, not the statement. However, Mahmood claimed that Smith then raised the issue of the statement during the conversation. |
| Mahmood told police: “I did not discuss his evidence, I did not discuss the nature of the evidence he could give. Mr Smith was unhappy with certain issues, he wasn’t sure some of the stuff the officer has put in it was accurate.” | Mahmood told police: “I did not discuss his evidence, I did not discuss the nature of the evidence he could give. Mr Smith was unhappy with certain issues, he wasn’t sure some of the stuff the officer has put in it was accurate.” |
| Mahmood said he accepted that he “could perhaps have added” in his evidence at the trial that Smith had spoken to him about being unhappy about his statement and that the reporter had, as a result, referred him to his newspaper’s lawyers. | Mahmood said he accepted that he “could perhaps have added” in his evidence at the trial that Smith had spoken to him about being unhappy about his statement and that the reporter had, as a result, referred him to his newspaper’s lawyers. |
| But Mahmood said he had told Smith he could not discuss the driver’s evidence and had not even opened the statement at that stage so had not known about the comment Contostavlos was said to have made in the car. | But Mahmood said he had told Smith he could not discuss the driver’s evidence and had not even opened the statement at that stage so had not known about the comment Contostavlos was said to have made in the car. |
| “I had no intent to invent, suppress or manipulate evidence,” he told police. “I believe the court was looking for an excuse to drop the case.” | “I had no intent to invent, suppress or manipulate evidence,” he told police. “I believe the court was looking for an excuse to drop the case.” |
| Mahmood said what the singer said in the car was irrelevant to him as he had “irrefutable evidence that Miss Contostavlos had arranged the supply of cocaine and that was all that was needed in that case”. | Mahmood said what the singer said in the car was irrelevant to him as he had “irrefutable evidence that Miss Contostavlos had arranged the supply of cocaine and that was all that was needed in that case”. |
| Mahmood, seeking a scoop, had posed as a wealthy Bollywood producer promising the singer and aspiring actor a lead role in a major film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. He said in his police statement that he had acted on information that Contostavlos was a user and supplier of drugs. | Mahmood, seeking a scoop, had posed as a wealthy Bollywood producer promising the singer and aspiring actor a lead role in a major film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. He said in his police statement that he had acted on information that Contostavlos was a user and supplier of drugs. |
| His exposé alleged that she had arranged for him to be sold half an ounce (14g) of cocaine by one of her contacts for £800. Mahmood and Smith are charged with conspiring together to do an act, namely that Smith would change a draft statement to police, with the intention to pervert the course of justice. | His exposé alleged that she had arranged for him to be sold half an ounce (14g) of cocaine by one of her contacts for £800. Mahmood and Smith are charged with conspiring together to do an act, namely that Smith would change a draft statement to police, with the intention to pervert the course of justice. |
| Both deny the charge. | Both deny the charge. |
| After reading the transcript of a police interview with Smith, also from September 2014, the prosecution rested its case. | After reading the transcript of a police interview with Smith, also from September 2014, the prosecution rested its case. |
| At the beginning of his police interview Smith read a short statement in which he denied that he discussed his statement with Mahmood or that the reporter influenced his decision to change it. | At the beginning of his police interview Smith read a short statement in which he denied that he discussed his statement with Mahmood or that the reporter influenced his decision to change it. |
| He was then asked a series of questions by the officers but offered “no comment” to several, including ones on whether Mahmoud had urged him to change his statement. | He was then asked a series of questions by the officers but offered “no comment” to several, including ones on whether Mahmoud had urged him to change his statement. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |