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Ex-NoW deputy editor 'congratulated journalist for Daniel Craig phone hack' Ex-NoW deputy editor 'congratulated journalist for Daniel Craig phone hack'
(about 2 hours later)
The former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis congratulated a journalist for hacking a voicemail left by Sienna Miller for fellow actor Daniel Craig which led to the publication of a story that Miller was cheating on her then boyfriend Jude Law, a court has heard.The former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis congratulated a journalist for hacking a voicemail left by Sienna Miller for fellow actor Daniel Craig which led to the publication of a story that Miller was cheating on her then boyfriend Jude Law, a court has heard.
Dan Evans played a recording of the voicemail in the open-plan newsroom of the now defunct Sunday paper, an Old Bailey jury was told on Wednesday, in which Miller said: “Hi, it’s me, I can’t speak, I’m at the Groucho with Jude. I love you.”Dan Evans played a recording of the voicemail in the open-plan newsroom of the now defunct Sunday paper, an Old Bailey jury was told on Wednesday, in which Miller said: “Hi, it’s me, I can’t speak, I’m at the Groucho with Jude. I love you.”
Evans said he may have played it “two or three times” in front of the editor, Andy Coulson, and his “recollection is that Mr Wallis was there”. He said: “I had the impression they knew fully what I was going to play.”Evans said he may have played it “two or three times” in front of the editor, Andy Coulson, and his “recollection is that Mr Wallis was there”. He said: “I had the impression they knew fully what I was going to play.”
He also claimed Coulson “expressed satisfaction”, while “Neil took me by my elbow and said: ‘You’re a company man now, Dan.’” Evans said he took that to mean they “were now bound by a secret”. He claimed Coulson “expressed satisfaction”, while “Neil took me by my elbow and said: ‘You’re a company man now, Dan.’” Evans said he took that to mean they “were now bound by a secret”.
He claimed Coulson wanted to “sanitise the origin” of the tape, and that he was instructed to make a recording of it and “stick it in a Jiffy bag and have it delivered to the front desk and we can say it was dropped in anonymously”.He claimed Coulson wanted to “sanitise the origin” of the tape, and that he was instructed to make a recording of it and “stick it in a Jiffy bag and have it delivered to the front desk and we can say it was dropped in anonymously”.
The reason, Evans said, was “abundantly obvious to everyone”, which he told the court was so that the original recording could not be traced to a News of the World employee.The reason, Evans said, was “abundantly obvious to everyone”, which he told the court was so that the original recording could not be traced to a News of the World employee.
Evans was giving evidence as a prosecution witness at the trial of Wallis, 64, from Chiswick, west London, who denies one charge of conspiracy to intercept voicemail communications. Evans was giving evidence as a prosecution witness at the trial of Wallis, 64, from Chiswick, west London, who denies one charge of conspiracy to intercept voicemail communications. It is not suggesting he carried out hacking himself but the prosecution alleges that he knew it was being done and agreed that it should be done.
The prosecution allege Wallis was part of a conspiracy at the newspaper to hack voicemails. It is not suggesting he carried out hacking himself but alleges that he knew it was being done and agreed that it should be done.
Evans, who has admitted phone hacking and received a suspended sentence, said Wallis knew of his history of intercepting voicemails when he first tried to recruit him from the Sunday Mirror. He told the court the two met at a pub in London, with the deputy editor arriving in a chauffeur-driven, silver “big executive car – either a BMW or Mercedes”.Evans, who has admitted phone hacking and received a suspended sentence, said Wallis knew of his history of intercepting voicemails when he first tried to recruit him from the Sunday Mirror. He told the court the two met at a pub in London, with the deputy editor arriving in a chauffeur-driven, silver “big executive car – either a BMW or Mercedes”.
Evans said: “He sat down opposite me, and pretty much his opening gambit was: ‘So we know you can screw phones, what else can you do?’Evans said: “He sat down opposite me, and pretty much his opening gambit was: ‘So we know you can screw phones, what else can you do?’
“I said: ‘Actually, quite a lot. I’m [an] investigative journalist. I do undercover work’, and I referred to some of my stories.”“I said: ‘Actually, quite a lot. I’m [an] investigative journalist. I do undercover work’, and I referred to some of my stories.”
The 2004 meeting with Wallis was set up by another News of the World journalist who was keen to get him to join the paper, Evans said.The 2004 meeting with Wallis was set up by another News of the World journalist who was keen to get him to join the paper, Evans said.
He claimed Wallis told him: “I can see you’re a bright enough boy,” but that the talk ended abruptly when he said he wanted to stay at the Sunday Mirror. Evans said Wallis swiftly ended the meeting with a “sort of ‘you’re wasting my time here’ sort of thing”.He claimed Wallis told him: “I can see you’re a bright enough boy,” but that the talk ended abruptly when he said he wanted to stay at the Sunday Mirror. Evans said Wallis swiftly ended the meeting with a “sort of ‘you’re wasting my time here’ sort of thing”.
Evans did join the News of the World a few months later after being approached by the features editor, Jules Stenson, who wanted to set up an investigations unit to rival that in the news department, the court heard.Evans did join the News of the World a few months later after being approached by the features editor, Jules Stenson, who wanted to set up an investigations unit to rival that in the news department, the court heard.
While at the paper, Evans said his phone hacking was “pretty open” in the newsroom, “as I was sitting there with three, four, five phones on my desk”.While at the paper, Evans said his phone hacking was “pretty open” in the newsroom, “as I was sitting there with three, four, five phones on my desk”.
He told the court that phone hacking was raised during his first job interview with Stenson. He said: “Jules’s view kind of was ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’” During a second meeting with Stenson, Evan said, “he wanted to know a bit more about phone hacking. What it would bring to him, how it was done, a little bit about the methodology. He told the court that phone hacking was raised during his first job interview with Stenson. He said: “Jules’s view kind of was ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’” During a second meeting with Stenson, Evans said, “he wanted to know a bit more about phone hacking. What it would bring to him, how it was done, a little bit about the methodology.
“And I said: ‘This is how you do it. I’ve got a list of hacking targets that cover a large spectrum of public life’ – just flesh on the bone, really.”“And I said: ‘This is how you do it. I’ve got a list of hacking targets that cover a large spectrum of public life’ – just flesh on the bone, really.”
He said Coulson and Stenson then invited him for a third interview over breakfast at One Aldwych Hotel, in central London. He claimed he told Coulson about “stuff I could do with phones” as the term “phone hacking” had not yet been coined. “I went in there taking as a general given it was one of the key reasons Jules wanted to hire me,” he told the jury. He said Coulson and Stenson then invited him for a third interview over breakfast at One Aldwych Hotel in central London. He claimed he told Coulson about “stuff I could do with phones” as the term “phone hacking” had not yet been coined. “I went in there taking as a general given it was one of the key reasons Jules wanted to hire me,” he told the jury.
“I took it that everything was understood. Nobody said: ‘Do you mean intercepting voicemail communications contrary to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2001?’”“I took it that everything was understood. Nobody said: ‘Do you mean intercepting voicemail communications contrary to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2001?’”
Over the breakfast, Evans referred to the News of the World exclusive on an affair between the then home secretary, David Blunkett, and a married woman, and Fleet Street rumours that it had been obtained through hacking a pin code. He said: “I believe I may have said it was as easy as 1 2 3 4. A coded message, like: ‘Come on, we know how it was done.’”Over the breakfast, Evans referred to the News of the World exclusive on an affair between the then home secretary, David Blunkett, and a married woman, and Fleet Street rumours that it had been obtained through hacking a pin code. He said: “I believe I may have said it was as easy as 1 2 3 4. A coded message, like: ‘Come on, we know how it was done.’”
He told the court he was later offered the job and was told by Stenson: “You’ve done brilliantly.”He told the court he was later offered the job and was told by Stenson: “You’ve done brilliantly.”
From the witness box, Evans recited from memory old default pin codes from different phone providers as he explained how he would simultaneously use two pay-as-you-go mobile phones to access voicemails, “slinging them in the river” every couple of months so they could not be traced. Often he guessed at codes using birth dates or simple number sequences, he said.From the witness box, Evans recited from memory old default pin codes from different phone providers as he explained how he would simultaneously use two pay-as-you-go mobile phones to access voicemails, “slinging them in the river” every couple of months so they could not be traced. Often he guessed at codes using birth dates or simple number sequences, he said.
If he wanted to obtain an address from a number, he would “spin it with an inquiry agency”, he said, which was like a “reverse look-up”, adding that he used a company then called ELI – Express Locate International. Such spinning, he claimed, was an industry-wide practice.If he wanted to obtain an address from a number, he would “spin it with an inquiry agency”, he said, which was like a “reverse look-up”, adding that he used a company then called ELI – Express Locate International. Such spinning, he claimed, was an industry-wide practice.
The jury was shown an expenses claim he made at the News of the World. Using the term “phone probes” – which he said was “an oblique reference to what we were doing” – the claim was for two Nokia pay-as-you-go handsets, two sim cards and four £50 topup cards.The jury was shown an expenses claim he made at the News of the World. Using the term “phone probes” – which he said was “an oblique reference to what we were doing” – the claim was for two Nokia pay-as-you-go handsets, two sim cards and four £50 topup cards.
But his expenses were subjected to “forensic examination” and it was getting more and more difficult to get them through “on goodwill”, he said, so he started using his own work phone and office landline, ducking down by his desk partition in the open-plan office, he explained.But his expenses were subjected to “forensic examination” and it was getting more and more difficult to get them through “on goodwill”, he said, so he started using his own work phone and office landline, ducking down by his desk partition in the open-plan office, he explained.
Stenson wanted him to do more and more phone hacking, Evans said. “He quite quickly lost patience with normal news stories, was obsessed with celebrity gossip and tittle tattle,” he claimed.Stenson wanted him to do more and more phone hacking, Evans said. “He quite quickly lost patience with normal news stories, was obsessed with celebrity gossip and tittle tattle,” he claimed.
He also alleged Stenson was a bully, and that immediately before the Daniel Craig hack he had been roared at by Stenson, who told him to “get a front page story or you might as well jump off a fucking bridge”. He alleged Stenson was a bully and that immediately before the Craig hack he had been roared at by Stenson, who told him to “get a front page story or you might as well jump off a fucking bridge”.
“I was in a panic, in a flap, definitely in fear of my job. I did a bunch of hacking and came upon a voicemail, a mystery female voice,” he said, which he was able to identify as Miller. He told the court how he felt he had “struck gold” and came into work “wagging my tail, really”.“I was in a panic, in a flap, definitely in fear of my job. I did a bunch of hacking and came upon a voicemail, a mystery female voice,” he said, which he was able to identify as Miller. He told the court how he felt he had “struck gold” and came into work “wagging my tail, really”.
Cross-examined by Neil Saunders, for Wallis, Evans denied he had embellished his account of his first meeting with the deputy editor.
“I suggest he never said that at all about screwing phones,” said Saunders. “Well, you’re wrong,” replied Evans.
Saunders questioned whether the meeting ever took place, as there were no diary notes and no emails supporting it.
The court has heard Evans agreed to help police with their investigation into hacking in the hope of getting a lighter sentence.
“You wanted to do a deal with the prosecution to try and avoid going to prison so in order to do that you agreed to give evidence” said Saunders. Notes from meetings Evans had with his solicitors and detectives showed him “extending and expanding” his account, he added. “Were you just adding detail to make it sound more effective?”
“No” replied Evans.
Earlier, he described the “panic” that ensued after the arrest of the paper’s royal editor, Clive Goodman, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in August 2006 for phone hacking. Evans ceased phone hacking, purged his desk of evidence and hid his private list of hacking targets and codes in a friend’s loft.
But he had to retrieve it when his friend later moved and after a “weekend bender” in 2009, and desperate to find a story, he tried to access the phone of Kelly Hoppen, the former stepmother of Sienna Miller. She had changed her code and he triggered an alert which eventually led to his work phone and to his arrest, the court heard.
He agreed he had abused alcohol and drugs while trying to cope with the pressure of working at the News of the World which escalated after he was arrested. “I was in the process of being shafted by News International. I was isolated and very sad,” he said.
He is due to continue his evidence on Thursday.
The case continues.The case continues.