Phone-hacking trial: Jeffrey Archer, the home secretary and his special adviser

The next case of hacking to be discussed was that of Charles Clarke and Hannah Pawlby. A police officer was then called to the stand and, as has become standard procedure, the jury was taken through Mulcaire’s notes and phone records that show how and when the hacking was done. Also recovered from Mulcaire’s home was a tape of a voicemail left by one of the accused, Andy Coulson, then editor of the News of the World, asking Pawlby to get in touch with him. Evidence was also introduced that Pawlby was being watched by journalists from the News of the World who were reporting on her movements.

Clarke was then called to the stand. He told the court he was MP for Norwich South until 2010, and a former secretary of state for education and later home secretary. Clarke told the jury that Pawlby was his former diary secretary and then special adviser while he was at the Home Office. The witness was then shown a document from companies house, taken from Mulcaire’s home by police, listing companies Clarke had been a director of. One, Clarke told the court, was from before he became an MP. He also had a “small company, Quality Public Services, which never did any business” and a company which he set up to manage some flats he owned.

Andrew Edis QC then asked the witness if he was aware of a rumour, in 2006, that he was having an affair with Pawlby. Clarke said this was “completely untrue” but that he had been contacted by the political editor of the Sun, Trevor Kavanagh, who put the rumour to him and offered him “sympathetic coverage". Clarke said he told Kavanagh that there was “no basis we could talk at all” as there was “no substance” to the story. The witness confirmed no story ever appeared in The Sun on this subject.

Clarke was then asked if Pawlby had been contacted by anyone about the rumour. She had told him that a gossip columnist from The Sun had informed her they were running the story. Pawlby was “extremely upset” so Clarke called the Sun, spoke to the deputy editor and told him he would sue for libel if story was ever published. It never was.

Alison Pople, a barrister acting for Andy Coulson, then rose to cross-examine the witness. She asked Clarke about the relationship between politicians and the press which the witness described as difficult but added that both sides needed to reach a “modus operandi”. Pope then asked about party conferences and meetings with newspaper editors. Clarke responded that a “ritual” had developed at conference season where politicians met with newspaper editors socially for “lunches/dinners etc” to discuss wider political issues. There were also a “whole range of parties” that could “go on very late” where the media people and politicians interacted.

Pople then asked if Clarke knew journalists “very well” and not just on a professional basis. The witness responded that personal friendships between journalists and politicians were “very rare” but agreed it could happen. He did agree that this was more common with “special advisers” who were neither civil servants or ministers and confirmed special advisers were funded by the government, a decision made when Harold Wilson was prime minister.

Justice Saunders then intervened saying that this was “all very interesting, but is it related to the case?” Pople then put it to Clarke that it was “not uncommon” for journalists to become special advisers. Clarke said not in his case.

Clarke was then asked if he had ever met Andy Coulson at conference. He confirmed he had and had attended News International-organised parties. Asked if he had ever went to lunch with Coulson and Neil Wallis, a news editor at the News of the World, and the witness agreed that this could have been the case. Pople then asked about an anti-bullying campaign run by News of the World while Clarke was education secretary, 'Helping Hands', and displayed a News of the World article which promoted it. She also showed a small article by Clarke that appeared in the paper in support of Helping Hands. The witness told the court it was not uncommon for ministers to write such short pieces. Another News of the World piece promoting greater compensation for victims of the 7/7 bombings was also shown, a campaign Clarke described as “controversial”.

The jury was then asked to briefly leave the court while a legal matter was discussed.

On the jury’s return Pople asked the witness about an interview Clarke had with a News of the World journalist, Masir Mahmoud, on the subject of illegal immigration. The witness confirmed he carried out the interview and “generally” had a good relationship with News of the World journalists and spoke to them to “put the government’s side of the story". He also agreed that on occassion the government would use the news media to influence people’s behaviour or get across its “political case". The witness was then shown an email from the Home Office to the News of the World seeking support for a proposal to raise the period of time a terrorist suspect could be detained, from one week to three months, a proposal that was finally defeated in parliament. Clarke agreed this was an example of the government using the media to advance its case.

Clarke was then asked about his relationship with Neil Wallis. He confirmed he met him for lunch or dinner “from time to time". However he was not sure if Wallis would have had his mobile number or his direct dial number. He did agree however that he would return a call from Mr Wallis. He agreed again that he would, in principle, be happy to speak to any journalist if he had time in his schedule.

Pople then turned to the weekend of 18-19 June 2006, and showed the court a document - 'lines to take' - issued by the government to ministers which gave guidance on how to deal with controversial issues. The first was on ID Cards, the second on Ronnie Biggs and his application for release. Clarke agreed these were both “difficult issues” at this time and could be “big stories” for the News of the World.

Pope then asked about the “untrue rumours” over Clarke and Pawlby. The witness said that the “House of Commons is a gossip mill” but he had not heard the rumours until Trevor Kavanagh spoke to him. The witness confirmed Coulson had never spoken to him about the rumour, nor did Neil Wallis. Pople having finished her cross-examination, sat down.

Edis then rose to re-examine Clarke. The witness confirmed that Coulson had never spoken to him about Ronnie Biggs, but another journalist at the News of the World, Ian Kirby, had told him Coulson was “very interested” in the story and he assumed Kirby was working “in close conjunction” with Coulson. The witness said he did not recall speaking directly to Coulson on any other News of the World campaign or over his interview. He confirmed that the newpaper phrase “a home office spokesman” was unlikely to be him as he would be quoted as “the home secretary”.

Clarke then left the stand and Hanna Pawlby stepped forward to give evidence.

Pawlby confirmed she had been a special adviser to Clarke while he was home secretary. She had responsibility for “liaison with the press” and had frequent contacts with journalists and, on occasion, editors. The witness was then played recordings, found by police at Mulcaire’s home, and confirmed she had never heard these voicemails from her mobile phone. One of the messages heard in court was from Andy Coulson asking her to call him over an “important story”. Pawlby confirmed that it was not unusual for a newpaper editor to call her mobile phone in this way.

The witness was then asked about the rumour of a relationship between herself and Clarke to which she said “there was no truth in it”. She told the court she had been called by a journalist at the Sun in 2006, who had said they “had pictures” of her and Clarke and were going to run the story that they were having an affair. She recalled telling the journalist the story was not true, and then telling Clarke about the call. Clarke called Rebekah Brooks at The Sun, but she was away so he spoke to the deputy editor. The story was never run. The witness also denied ever being contacted by the News of the World in relation to a story about the possible release of Ronnie Biggs. Pawlby told the court she would generally speak to Coulson over the home office response to “terrorism issues” or over “peadophiles”.

Alison Pople, for Coulson, then rose to cross-examine the witness. She first asked if it was normal for a diary secretary to become a special adviser. Pawlby confirmed it was unusual. Pawlby agreed that her period as special adviser coincided with a number of “serious issues” for the home office like the 7/7 bombings and that journalists would have her mobile number to seek comment from the home secretary on these issues. Asked how many people worked in the Home Office press office, the witness replied “around 50” and that these people deal with both enquiries from the press and also to co-ordinate using the press to gain public support on various issues. Pawlby agreed that one of these at her time at the Home Office was the proposal to extend the detention of “terrorist suspects” to three months.

Asked how often she met Andy Coulson, Pawlby replied “from time to time” and that she had arranged bilateral meetings between Charles Clarke and Coulson. The witness told the court she had “a decent working relationship” with Coulson and that Clarke often met with Neil Wallis, also at the News of the World.

The court then adjourned for lunch.