Phone-hacking trial: Former Royal editor returns to witness box
After a three day break while legal and case management issues were dealt with, the jury took their seats just after noon to see former News of the World Royal editor Clive Goodman in the witness box. Goodman, who was taken ill when being cross-examined on the 20 March had been ruled unfit to plead for over eight weeks, however the judge told the jury that an independent expert had now examined the defendant and informed the court he was now well enough to continue.
Court: Clive Goodman
Goodman, who served four months in prison for phone-hacking in 2007, has already testified that he told the newspaper's former editor, Andy Coulson, that he had been intercepting the voicemails of various members of the Royal household and that Coulson had approved paying a retainer to a private detective, Glenn Mulcaire, to obtain pin numbers for other mobile phones associated with the Royal family, an assertion which Coulson denies.
Given the gap between Goodman's original testimony and his cross-examination, the presiding judge, Mr Justice Saunders, took the unusual step of reading to the jury his summary of Goodman's previous evidence. Once this was completed, Saunders invited Timothy Langdale QC, counsel for Coulson, to continue his interrupted cross-examination.
The trial continues.
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