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| Sunday Mirror journalist given suspended jail sentence after admitting phone hacking | Sunday Mirror journalist given suspended jail sentence after admitting phone hacking |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A journalist who blew the whistle on the alleged hacking of celebrities’ phones at the Sunday Mirror has been spared jail for his own “short and intense” involvement in the crime. | A journalist who blew the whistle on the alleged hacking of celebrities’ phones at the Sunday Mirror has been spared jail for his own “short and intense” involvement in the crime. |
| Graham Johnson, 46, of Greenwich was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for one year, on Thursday morning. He was also ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work. | Graham Johnson, 46, of Greenwich was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for one year, on Thursday morning. He was also ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work. |
| Johnson pleaded guilty to phone hacking at a hearing in Westminster on 6 November. | Johnson pleaded guilty to phone hacking at a hearing in Westminster on 6 November. |
| At his sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey, his counsel Avtar Bhatoa said Johnson admitted to police that he had hacked a soap actress’s phone over “three to seven days in the autumn of 2001”. | |
| “He had listened to 10 to 30 messages a day during that period,” said Bhatoa. | “He had listened to 10 to 30 messages a day during that period,” said Bhatoa. |
| He told Judge Brian Barker that his client had acted swiftly when he heard former colleagues were under investigation. | He told Judge Brian Barker that his client had acted swiftly when he heard former colleagues were under investigation. |
| “On 14 March last year the Metropolitan police arrested a number of journalists from the Sunday Mirror on suspicion of interception of voicemails. | “On 14 March last year the Metropolitan police arrested a number of journalists from the Sunday Mirror on suspicion of interception of voicemails. |
| “On 15 March he contacted the Metropolitan police and informed officers that he was a former journalist on the Sunday Mirror between 1997 and 2006. | “On 15 March he contacted the Metropolitan police and informed officers that he was a former journalist on the Sunday Mirror between 1997 and 2006. |
| “And he informed them that he had been involved in telephone hacking.” | “And he informed them that he had been involved in telephone hacking.” |
| Bhatoa told the judge that Johnson had avoided showbusiness stories and was reluctant to get involved in this investigation into a possible relationship between the soap star and a criminal. | Bhatoa told the judge that Johnson had avoided showbusiness stories and was reluctant to get involved in this investigation into a possible relationship between the soap star and a criminal. |
| He was “concerned about the technique” of investigation and after a few days “walked off the job”. A story did appear about the soap actor but he had the second byline, the court was told. | He was “concerned about the technique” of investigation and after a few days “walked off the job”. A story did appear about the soap actor but he had the second byline, the court was told. |
| Bhatoa said: “He felt it was wrong and he stopped it.” He said Johnson was not under suspicion when he went to the police and his action had been “truly unique”. | Bhatoa said: “He felt it was wrong and he stopped it.” He said Johnson was not under suspicion when he went to the police and his action had been “truly unique”. |
| Bhatao told the court that the case of Dan Evans, another former Sunday Mirror journalist who admitted phone hacking and who got a 10-month suspended sentence earlier this year, was different. | Bhatao told the court that the case of Dan Evans, another former Sunday Mirror journalist who admitted phone hacking and who got a 10-month suspended sentence earlier this year, was different. |
| “Mr Evans only came clean after his collar was felt. Mr Johnson called the police himself, and, unlike others, he never prevaricated,” said Bhatao. | “Mr Evans only came clean after his collar was felt. Mr Johnson called the police himself, and, unlike others, he never prevaricated,” said Bhatao. |
| Immediately after the hearing, Johnson said: “I feel OK. I’ll have to reflect upon it and what it means. I didn’t know what to expect because you cannot predict what a judge is going to say.” | Immediately after the hearing, Johnson said: “I feel OK. I’ll have to reflect upon it and what it means. I didn’t know what to expect because you cannot predict what a judge is going to say.” |
| Johnson’s supporters outside court said the sentencing was harsh and would discourage whistleblowers from coming forward. | Johnson’s supporters outside court said the sentencing was harsh and would discourage whistleblowers from coming forward. |
| In a statement read to court, Hacked Off, which campaigns for victims of press intrusion, “commended” Johnson for his actions and said it hoped the judge would deal with the case sympathetically “so that others will come forward”. | In a statement read to court, Hacked Off, which campaigns for victims of press intrusion, “commended” Johnson for his actions and said it hoped the judge would deal with the case sympathetically “so that others will come forward”. |
| Handing down the sentence, the judge said Johnson had “abused his professional position, albeit for a few days”. | Handing down the sentence, the judge said Johnson had “abused his professional position, albeit for a few days”. |
| Barker said he had no choice but to give him a custodial sentence but in view of the circumstances it would be suspended. | Barker said he had no choice but to give him a custodial sentence but in view of the circumstances it would be suspended. |
| “The public regard these sorts of offences – quite properly – very seriously. You are in a different category, but the fact of the matter is you allowed yourself, in 2001, to behave in this way. | “The public regard these sorts of offences – quite properly – very seriously. You are in a different category, but the fact of the matter is you allowed yourself, in 2001, to behave in this way. |
| “It is to your credit that you ceased [hacking] fairly quickly and you put that behind you,” Barker said. | “It is to your credit that you ceased [hacking] fairly quickly and you put that behind you,” Barker said. |
| “The fact of the matter is that you were directed by others … It was a considerable time ago and you reported yourself and it has weighed deeply on your conscience”, he added. | “The fact of the matter is that you were directed by others … It was a considerable time ago and you reported yourself and it has weighed deeply on your conscience”, he added. |
| At an earlier hearing, Bhatoa said Johnson had been “shown by a very senior person in a supervisory capacity how to access voicemails”, and he was not aware that it was illegal at the time. | At an earlier hearing, Bhatoa said Johnson had been “shown by a very senior person in a supervisory capacity how to access voicemails”, and he was not aware that it was illegal at the time. |
| Originally from Liverpool, Johnson was investigations editor at the Sunday Mirror for six years. He previously worked at the News of the World, where one if his most notorious scoops was about the fictional Beast of Bodmin, a giant wild cat said to be stalking Cornwall. | Originally from Liverpool, Johnson was investigations editor at the Sunday Mirror for six years. He previously worked at the News of the World, where one if his most notorious scoops was about the fictional Beast of Bodmin, a giant wild cat said to be stalking Cornwall. |
| It involved an elaborate “1,500 words of bollox”, Johnson later wrote in his book about his tabloid experiences, Hack, “stunted up” photos of a puma from Exmoor wildlife park and claw marks scraped into a tree by his photographer who used a jagged key. | It involved an elaborate “1,500 words of bollox”, Johnson later wrote in his book about his tabloid experiences, Hack, “stunted up” photos of a puma from Exmoor wildlife park and claw marks scraped into a tree by his photographer who used a jagged key. |
| The photographer was “terminated” by the then editor Rebekah Brooks and Johnson clung on to his career, saved from oblivion by an offer of a new job at the Sunday Mirror. After two years on the road he discovered the writer Noam Chomsky and started to rethink his career. | The photographer was “terminated” by the then editor Rebekah Brooks and Johnson clung on to his career, saved from oblivion by an offer of a new job at the Sunday Mirror. After two years on the road he discovered the writer Noam Chomsky and started to rethink his career. |
| Johnson was the second Sunday Mirror journalist to come forward to police. Dan Evans, who also worked at the News of the World, was earlier this year given a 10-month suspended sentence for hacking more than 1,000 voicemails at both titles. | Johnson was the second Sunday Mirror journalist to come forward to police. Dan Evans, who also worked at the News of the World, was earlier this year given a 10-month suspended sentence for hacking more than 1,000 voicemails at both titles. |