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| Andy Coulson knew about hacking while NoW editor, perjury trial told | Andy Coulson knew about hacking while NoW editor, perjury trial told |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| David Cameron’s former communications chief Andy Coulson knew phone hacking was going on at the News of the World while he was editor, a former senior reporter on the paper has told a court. | David Cameron’s former communications chief Andy Coulson knew phone hacking was going on at the News of the World while he was editor, a former senior reporter on the paper has told a court. |
| Clive Goodman, the paper’s former royal editor, claimed Coulson agreed to pay £500 a week to a private investigator to hack the phones of members of the royal household, including aides to Prince Harry and Prince William. | Clive Goodman, the paper’s former royal editor, claimed Coulson agreed to pay £500 a week to a private investigator to hack the phones of members of the royal household, including aides to Prince Harry and Prince William. |
| The 57-year-old from Surrey was called as a prosecution witness on the second day of the perjury trial of Coulson, who is alleged to have lied about his knowledge of phone hacking in a trial four years ago. | The 57-year-old from Surrey was called as a prosecution witness on the second day of the perjury trial of Coulson, who is alleged to have lied about his knowledge of phone hacking in a trial four years ago. |
| He told how he discovered Prince Harry had asked an aide to help him on an essay he had been set at Sandhurst about the 1980 Iranian embassy siege from hacking the royal staff member’s voicemail. | He told how he discovered Prince Harry had asked an aide to help him on an essay he had been set at Sandhurst about the 1980 Iranian embassy siege from hacking the royal staff member’s voicemail. |
| Goodman said that Coulson had seen the transcript of the voicemail, which was hacked in 2005. | Goodman said that Coulson had seen the transcript of the voicemail, which was hacked in 2005. |
| “He had seen the transcript so he knew what was in the voicemail, so he knew that to be accurate,” said Goodman, in reference to the story. | “He had seen the transcript so he knew what was in the voicemail, so he knew that to be accurate,” said Goodman, in reference to the story. |
| Goodman told the high court in Edinburgh how he was initially introduced to a man called Glenn, who was hacking phones in a bid to get stories by his boss on the paper’s newsdesk. | Goodman told the high court in Edinburgh how he was initially introduced to a man called Glenn, who was hacking phones in a bid to get stories by his boss on the paper’s newsdesk. |
| Goodman told the court on Wednesday: “When I first met Glenn, as I knew him, I had worked out he was an inquiry agent and private detective. I’d worked out he could crack stories very quickly, stories that he cracked had something to do with communications.” | Goodman told the court on Wednesday: “When I first met Glenn, as I knew him, I had worked out he was an inquiry agent and private detective. I’d worked out he could crack stories very quickly, stories that he cracked had something to do with communications.” |
| Goodman’s news editor, Greg Miskiw told him the man’s full name was Glenn Mulcaire and that he had been eavesdropping on the voicemails of people who were of interest to the paper. | Goodman’s news editor, Greg Miskiw told him the man’s full name was Glenn Mulcaire and that he had been eavesdropping on the voicemails of people who were of interest to the paper. |
| “Eventually Greg told me what had actually happened: they were doing something, they had been hacking phones,” said Goodman, who added that this was taking place around 2004-2005. | “Eventually Greg told me what had actually happened: they were doing something, they had been hacking phones,” said Goodman, who added that this was taking place around 2004-2005. |
| Coulson has pleaded not guilty to perjury in the trial of Tommy Sheridan in 2010, when he was asked about his knowledge of phone hacking. | Coulson has pleaded not guilty to perjury in the trial of Tommy Sheridan in 2010, when he was asked about his knowledge of phone hacking. |
| Goodman said that at the end of October 2005 he went to Coulson to suggest they put Mulcaire on a new contract, worth £500 a week, which would allow him to consistently monitor the voicemails of a number of members of the royal household. | Goodman said that at the end of October 2005 he went to Coulson to suggest they put Mulcaire on a new contract, worth £500 a week, which would allow him to consistently monitor the voicemails of a number of members of the royal household. |
| He said the meeting took place in Coulson’s office, where he “outlined the costs, methods, voicemail numbers and pin numbers [etc]” involved in the proposal. This would be paid to Mulcaire under the codename “Alexander”, Goodman said. | He said the meeting took place in Coulson’s office, where he “outlined the costs, methods, voicemail numbers and pin numbers [etc]” involved in the proposal. This would be paid to Mulcaire under the codename “Alexander”, Goodman said. |
| Prosecutor Richard Goddard pressed him on his recollection of the meeting and Coulson’s reaction. “When you spoke to Andy Coulson about this project – monitoring phones, mobile numbers, pin numbers – did he seem in the dark about this practice?” Goddard asked. | Prosecutor Richard Goddard pressed him on his recollection of the meeting and Coulson’s reaction. “When you spoke to Andy Coulson about this project – monitoring phones, mobile numbers, pin numbers – did he seem in the dark about this practice?” Goddard asked. |
| “I couldn’t say, sorry.” | “I couldn’t say, sorry.” |
| “What was his reaction to his proposal?” | “What was his reaction to his proposal?” |
| “He was worried about the cost. We agreed to do it just for a trial basis and to review it after a month.” | “He was worried about the cost. We agreed to do it just for a trial basis and to review it after a month.” |
| “Did he ever worry about the breach of privacy?” | “Did he ever worry about the breach of privacy?” |
| “That didn’t come up,” replied Goodman. | “That didn’t come up,” replied Goodman. |
| Summarising for the jury, Goddard repeated: “You told us that these [payments] were for phone-hacking operations that Mr Coulson knew about.” | Summarising for the jury, Goddard repeated: “You told us that these [payments] were for phone-hacking operations that Mr Coulson knew about.” |
| “Yes,” replied Goodman. | “Yes,” replied Goodman. |
| The jury was shown contributor payment request forms that detailed payments made to “Alexander” from November 2005 to spring 2006. | The jury was shown contributor payment request forms that detailed payments made to “Alexander” from November 2005 to spring 2006. |
| Goodman said he also referred to Mulcaire as “Matey” in emails to Coulson. | Goodman said he also referred to Mulcaire as “Matey” in emails to Coulson. |
| Jurors were shown an email sent by Goodman to Coulson one month after the “Alexander” trial period had begun. | Jurors were shown an email sent by Goodman to Coulson one month after the “Alexander” trial period had begun. |
| “Andy – got a sec on extending the Matey trial pse? Left a memo with B on Wednesday,” Goodman wrote on 25 November 2005. | “Andy – got a sec on extending the Matey trial pse? Left a memo with B on Wednesday,” Goodman wrote on 25 November 2005. |
| Coulson replied: “Another month.” | Coulson replied: “Another month.” |
| Mulcaire’s “ploy”, as described by Goodman, would produce “scraps of information” and initially was not successful, he told jurors. | Mulcaire’s “ploy”, as described by Goodman, would produce “scraps of information” and initially was not successful, he told jurors. |
| Asked Goddard who was editor at the time, Goodman replied: “Andy.” | Asked Goddard who was editor at the time, Goodman replied: “Andy.” |
| “At the start of all of this did he know you were accessing voicemails at that time?” Goddard asked. | “At the start of all of this did he know you were accessing voicemails at that time?” Goddard asked. |
| “Not from me he didn’t,” Goodman said. | “Not from me he didn’t,” Goodman said. |
| “However, did that change in the months ahead?” | “However, did that change in the months ahead?” |
| “Yes it did,” replied Goodman. | “Yes it did,” replied Goodman. |
| The jury were shown texts from Mulcaire to Goodman in the summer of 2006 that Goodman said referred to the phone pins of Kate Middleton – now the Duchess of Cambridge – who was Prince Williams’s girlfriend at the time. | |
| “Kate: 2689”, read one sent on 9 June. | |
| “Kate: 1243 really need result on that story,” said another text on 23 June. | |
| Goddard also asked Goodman about the atmosphere in the newsroom. He claimed Coulson had erupted in a fit of rage on one occasion when he told his boss that he could not travel to the US to cover a royal tour by Prince Charles because of childcare issues. | Goddard also asked Goodman about the atmosphere in the newsroom. He claimed Coulson had erupted in a fit of rage on one occasion when he told his boss that he could not travel to the US to cover a royal tour by Prince Charles because of childcare issues. |
| “He was very angry, he kicked the desk,” Goodman told jurors. “It was a very scorching dressing-down from the man who ran the paper and it didn’t really end there.” | “He was very angry, he kicked the desk,” Goodman told jurors. “It was a very scorching dressing-down from the man who ran the paper and it didn’t really end there.” |
| He said one particular news editor on the paper treated him aggressively. “He once told me: ‘If it’s not the big story, it’s the Big Issue, Clive,’ in relation to the homelessness [magazine],” said Goodman. | He said one particular news editor on the paper treated him aggressively. “He once told me: ‘If it’s not the big story, it’s the Big Issue, Clive,’ in relation to the homelessness [magazine],” said Goodman. |
| Another senior journalist on the paper, who cannot be named for legal reasons, changed the atmosphere in the newsroom for the worse when he was hired. | Another senior journalist on the paper, who cannot be named for legal reasons, changed the atmosphere in the newsroom for the worse when he was hired. |
| “The paper became much more fractious. It had always been a very competitive place to work but it was now hyper-competitive,” said Goodman. | “The paper became much more fractious. It had always been a very competitive place to work but it was now hyper-competitive,” said Goodman. |
| He described this journalist as “very aggressive, abrasive”. “Some found it very unpleasant,” said Goodman. | He described this journalist as “very aggressive, abrasive”. “Some found it very unpleasant,” said Goodman. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |