Phone-hacking trial: A sacking, a settlement and a final regret
Clive Goodman
When court resumed after lunch former royal editor of the News of the World, Clive Goodman, resumed giving evidence on his version of the events after his arrest and guilty plea for phone hacking in 2006. David Spens, Goodman's QC, showed the court a pre-sentence report produced by the probation service for consideration by the judge sentencing his client. The report states that "Goodman was keen to express his contrition" over the offence and explained "he had been demoted at work and had a genuine fear of being demoted at work and that his senior editor was constantly berating him and giving his tacit agreements to his activities..he gained no financial advantage from the activity his only motivation was to gain favour with his boss...the newspaper facilitated it at a higher level."
Goodman told the court he had never used the phrase "tacit approval" but had opened up to the probation officer as he was still very worried that not telling what he knew "was going to rebound on me one way or another". He knew the report would only be seen by the judge, not News International, and this was his way "of telling someone in authority" what was going on. He did not tell his solicitor about the conversation as he was worried it would "get back to News International". When the report was given to his barrister he emailed him asking that the News of the World not be given a copy.
In January 2007, the court was told, Goodman was sentenced to four months in prison.
In February 2007, while he was in prison, Goodman received a call from his wife informing him he had been sacked by the News of the World and he was to be awarded one year's salary, (£70,591) in lieu of notice. Goodman was released in late February 2007 and in March launched an appeal against his dismissal from the News of the World. His grounds of appeal were: "1) the actions leading to the charge were done with the full knowledge of the editor 2) Other members of staff were carrying out the same procedures and this was widely discussed at the daily editorial conference. 3) The paper knew I was going to plead guilty but continued to employ me. 4) The editor promised me I would retain my job if I did not implicate anyone else, I did not. 5) The company did not follow statutory procedures." In a further letter, shown to the jury, Goodman asked for access to various documents he needed in able to present his appeal, these included financial records, payment authorisations and any emails between himself Andy Coulson and various other people we cannot name for legal reasons.
On 20 March 2007 Goodman had his first hearing with News International's human resources department which he covertly recorded. "I didn't trust them to provide any accurate record of events," the defendant said, adding that when he received the News International note of the meeting it had 47 inaccuracies, "some of which reversed the truth". On 30 March Goodman said, he received a call from a fellow reporter from the Sun who said his editor, Rebekah Brooks, wanted to meet him about a possible job offer. He agreed to meet at the RAC club on 14 April.
The defendant told the court that at the meeting Brooks offered him employment producing a series of "glossy magazines" about the royal family. Goodman said Brooks had told him she felt that working with the Sun would be a "better way forward". Goodman told the court he expressed doubts that Brooks could offer him a job as he had been sacked at a high level and she replied "I can employ who I like". Goodman told the court the contract was for six months' work for £12,500: "It wasn't really a serious job offer and after that six months that would be it, my threat as a whistle-blower, exposing phone hacking would be over." Goodman emailed Brooks "passing on the offer".
On 10 May 2007 Goodman attended a second hearing with News International's HR department and the then editor of the News of the World, Colin Myler. The defendant said that after the meeting he was told the company was "minded to reject his appeal" over unfair dismissal. The court was then shown an email sent to the defendant by Rebekah Brooks on 18 May offering to send him on a training course to be a sub-editor. Goodman said he did not reply to the mail. On 30 May the defendant was formally told his appeal was formally rejected and his dismissal upheld. He then, the court heard, planned to appeal to an industrial tribunal which would have led to a "full public hearing".
On 3 June, Goodman said, he received a call from the head of corporate legal at News International, John Chapman, who offered a payment of £50,000 to settle the employment claim. Later in June, after negotiations, an agreement was signed by Goodman and News International in which they agreed a "no prejudice" final settlement of £140,000 plus legal costs.
The defence barrister then moved on to the final part of the examination in chief. On July 2011, the court was told, Goodman was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office. "It was no great surprise," the defendant said. "I'd read about it the day before in the Guardian." Goodman told the court he made no comment at subsequent police interviews on legal advice. Spens told the court that he was to have originally have stood trial with Coulson alone but this was changed in July 2013 due to a judge's order and the trial joined to that of the others in the case. In August 2013, the court was told, Goodman waived his privilege and a number of documents relating to his legal advice were released to all parties in the case.
Finally Goodman was asked what his feelings were towards Andy Coulson when he was sacked. He said: "Initially I was pretty sore, pretty cross but you can't stay like that forever you have to move on, it's a very regrettable path...I wish were all just left alone to get on with our lives... in conducting my defence I had to say things that caused me some pain to be honest, I had no choice."
The evidence in chief then ended and court rose.
All of the defendants deny all of the charges, the trial continues