Monday, November 11, 2013

Hacking jury hears David Blunkett voicemails

Hacking jury hears David Blunkett voicemails


David Blunkett
Mr Blunket was work and pensions secretary in 2005
She said the reporter Rob Kellaway sat near her on the plane and later offered her £150,000 for her story. She said: "I couldn't work out how he knew how to find us."
The court heard that Mulcaire's notes on Ms Anderson included details on her father, other family and friends and her osteopath's number.
The jury also heard that she approached the publicist Max Clifford, who arranged for the Sunday People to listen to her voicemails. She says she cannot remember how much she was paid.
She was sued by Mr Blunkett and had to issue a public apology in March 2006.
The court then heard from Mr Blunkett's former special adviser, Huw Evans, who said he frequently spoke to the then home secretary on mobile phones and used voicemails, but knew calls could be intercepted.
"We were very careful if we were having a conversation on a mobile to stick to a general subject or use coded language," he said.
He then described a conversation with then News of the World editor Andy Coulson over a story the paper planned to run in 2004 about the politician's affair with former Spectator publisher Kimberly Quinn.
Mr Evans said he believed all they had was a photograph of the pair together - so asked Mr Coulson why the evidence he claimed to have was substantive enough to run such a major story.
He said: "I told him that the photograph in itself proved nothing. I remember the tone of his voice... it was flat, unequivocal, that he was absolutely certain that the story was true and he was going to run it. I remember at that time remaining puzzled as to why he could be so certain."
Mr Coulson, 45, of Charing, Kent, denies conspiracy to intercept communications and conspiracy to commit misconduct.

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