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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Pair jailed over Bush memo leak | Pair jailed over Bush memo leak |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Two political staff have been jailed for leaking a secret memo about talks between George Bush and Tony Blair. | |
| Civil servant David Keogh, 50, from Northampton, was found guilty of two offences under the Official Secrets Act and jailed for six months. | |
| The memo recorded Oval Office talks between Mr Bush and Mr Blair about Iraq in 2004, the court was told. | The memo recorded Oval Office talks between Mr Bush and Mr Blair about Iraq in 2004, the court was told. |
| MP's researcher Leo O'Connor was jailed for three months after being found guilty of one Official Secrets offence. | MP's researcher Leo O'Connor was jailed for three months after being found guilty of one Official Secrets offence. |
| The judge ordered Keogh to pay £5,000 of the £35,000 prosecution costs. | The judge ordered Keogh to pay £5,000 of the £35,000 prosecution costs. |
| Police called | Police called |
| Judge Mr Justice Aikens said Keogh's "reckless and irresponsible" actions could have cost British lives. | Judge Mr Justice Aikens said Keogh's "reckless and irresponsible" actions could have cost British lives. |
| Few details of the "highly sensitive" memo, which is known to have included discussions about military tactics, have been made public. | Few details of the "highly sensitive" memo, which is known to have included discussions about military tactics, have been made public. |
| The trial heard that Keogh, a communications officer at the Cabinet Office, gave the memo to 44-year-old political researcher O'Connor, also from Northampton, at a dining club in the town. | The trial heard that Keogh, a communications officer at the Cabinet Office, gave the memo to 44-year-old political researcher O'Connor, also from Northampton, at a dining club in the town. |
| It was passed to Northampton South MP Anthony Clarke, who called the police. | It was passed to Northampton South MP Anthony Clarke, who called the police. |
| The judge told Keogh: "You decided that you did not like what you saw. | The judge told Keogh: "You decided that you did not like what you saw. |
| "Without consulting anyone, you decided on your own that it was in the best interest of the UK that this letter should be disclosed. | "Without consulting anyone, you decided on your own that it was in the best interest of the UK that this letter should be disclosed. |
| Researcher 'unlucky' | Researcher 'unlucky' |
| "This disclosure was a gross breach of trust of your position as a Crown servant." | "This disclosure was a gross breach of trust of your position as a Crown servant." |
| Earlier, O'Connor told the court he had never been "so worried and so fearful" as when he was passed the document. | Earlier, O'Connor told the court he had never been "so worried and so fearful" as when he was passed the document. |
| O'Connor, who worked for anti-war Labour MP Mr Clarke, said he had been approached by Keogh and told about "some quite embarrassing, outlandish statements" in the four-page document. | O'Connor, who worked for anti-war Labour MP Mr Clarke, said he had been approached by Keogh and told about "some quite embarrassing, outlandish statements" in the four-page document. |
| The meeting took place in April 2004 | The meeting took place in April 2004 |
| But he told the jury that he took the claims with a "pinch of salt" and never intended to send copies of the document to newspapers or MPs. | But he told the jury that he took the claims with a "pinch of salt" and never intended to send copies of the document to newspapers or MPs. |
| Rex Tedd QC, for Keogh, told the judge that Keogh had not acted for a political motive but had been following his conscience. | Rex Tedd QC, for Keogh, told the judge that Keogh had not acted for a political motive but had been following his conscience. |
| He said: "He acted out of conscience. No doubt, he did so misguidedly and he did so in a way which was likely to cause damage." | He said: "He acted out of conscience. No doubt, he did so misguidedly and he did so in a way which was likely to cause damage." |
| John Farmer, defending O'Connor, said the war in Iraq was "the most controversial foreign affairs involvement of this country since Suez 50 years ago". | John Farmer, defending O'Connor, said the war in Iraq was "the most controversial foreign affairs involvement of this country since Suez 50 years ago". |
| Mr Farmer told the judge that the researcher has simply been unlucky to be in the position of working for anti-war MP Mr Clarke. | Mr Farmer told the judge that the researcher has simply been unlucky to be in the position of working for anti-war MP Mr Clarke. |