Phone-hacking trial hears Clive Goodman email saying 'them, me, you and the editor would all end up in jail'
The trial of Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson and six others on charges of conspiracy to hack phones, pervert the course of justice and corrupt public officials resumed this morning at court 12 of the Old Bailey. Mark Bryant-Heron, for the prosecution, began by dealing with a question submitted by the jury, about an email presented yesterday. Once this was done the first witness of the day was called, Beverly Stokes.
Clive Goodman
After being sworn in Mrs Stokes told the court she was personal assistant to the News of the World (NotW) managing editor Stuart Kuttner from 2005 to 2009. The witness also confirmed she did assist in the authorisation of payments to the paper’s outside contributors, but told the jury the bulk of these would have been dealt with by Kuttner. Confidential cash payments were also authorised by the managing editor.
The witness was then shown an email from Clive Goodman, then NotW royal correspondent, asking for cash payments for three of his sources, Pinner, Hall and Alexander. These were, Stokes confirmed, drawn from the editorial budget and not the usual newsdesk budget. The payments, the witness told the court, would also have been approved by Kuttner. The witness was then shown a page from her own notebook listing contributor payments. The prosecution highlighted one of £500 to Paul Williams “re Jude Law”. Asked what this meant, Stokes said she could not recall, adding “do you want me to guess?” Bryant-Heron replied no and moved on.
The witness was then shown a page of a statement she had previously made to the police and asked if there was a special procedure for contributor payments of over £1000. Stokes confirmed there was, and that she produced a weekly list of these which was then “sent round to various people".
Timothy Langdale, QC for Andy Coulson, then rose to question the witness. Asked by Langdale to describe his client, Stokes told the court Coulson was a “nice enough guy” but adding that “he was a bit aloof". An email from Stokes to Coulson was then shown to the jury in which she thanks “Andy” for a salary increase. Stokes also confirmed she had never heard any conversations about phone hacking or illegal practices during her time at the NotW. The witness was then asked about Clive Goodman, and if he tended to exaggerate and was perhaps “over-dramatic”. Stokes said “I couldn’t possibly comment”, at which point Judge Saunders intervened saying “that is not an acceptable answer”. The witness apologised and said she “didn’t know".
Langdale then showed an email to the witness from Goodman asking for her to chase up payments for the “Prince Harry” story for a Mr Alexander. Stokes emails back that she has done so and Goodman replies, “Fantastic, I won’t be found in the Thames wearing concrete wellies tonight”, which the witness described as a joke. Another email was shown to the court in which Goodman, responding to queries about cash payments, states “there are only three people I ever pay in cash”, adding that if they were discovered “them, you, me and the editor would all end up in jail.” The email also describes another recipient of the cash payments as an “executive at another newspaper" who is “taking life altering risks for us”. Stokes said she could not recall receiving the email.
In another email put to the witness Goodman asks Stokes for another cash payment saying that this contact was in a “sensitive job” and if he was discovered it would be “curtains for him and us”. The witness agreed that this was typical of the types of emails that came across her desk. Langdale then brought into evidence a document listing how much people were paid for producing various pieces for the paper. Justice Saunders ruled that this was confidential information, so it was removed from the the court TV screens.
Jonathan Caplan QC, for Stuart Kuttner, then rose to cross-examine the witness. Stokes agreed Kuttner worked long hours in the office and that the managing editor’s office was a very busy office. Caplan put it to the witness that his client was very concerned about overspending at desk level to which she agreed, however she could not confirm details of how budgets were agreed. The witness agreed with Caplan that if a contributor payment was within the head of a department’s budget the managing editor would never see it. Caplan then returned to the subject of cash payments and asked Stokes to confirm that no cash payment would be approved by her office without first being approved by the departmental head. The witness agreed.
Finally Caplan brought into evidence notes of times when Kuttner had been on sick leave from the NotW and told the jury these corresponded to some of the times the Goodman emails previously mentioned were sent. The witness was then allowed to leave the stand.
The jury then left the court while a legal matter was discussed.
When the jury returned Justice Saunders apologised to them for the delay and Mr Bryant-Heron resumed where he left off yesterday, bringing into evidence documents given to the Crown by News international relating to the charges against former NotW news editor Ian Edmondson.
These included emails from convicted phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire to Edmondson containing home addresses and various landline and mobile telephone numbers. One shown to the jury was a request for £250 “re background checks on Delia Smith". Another was an email exchange in which then NotW editor Andy Coulson, while discussing Calum Best, instructs Edmondson to “Do his phone.”
As another legal matter was being discussed the jury was sent out for an “early lunch”.
The trial continues.