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| Ex-NoW journalist Dan Evans gets suspended sentence over hacking | Ex-NoW journalist Dan Evans gets suspended sentence over hacking |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A former journalist at the News of the World who admitted listening to more than 1,000 hacked voicemail messages has been spared jail because of what the judge said was his "unique" role in giving the prosecution evidence in the trial of Andy Coulson, Rebekah Brooks and others. | A former journalist at the News of the World who admitted listening to more than 1,000 hacked voicemail messages has been spared jail because of what the judge said was his "unique" role in giving the prosecution evidence in the trial of Andy Coulson, Rebekah Brooks and others. |
| Dan Evans, a features writer at the now-defunct tabloid under Coulson, told the phone-hacking trial that the practice of eavesdropping on others' voicemails was so endemic that even "the office cat" knew about it. | Dan Evans, a features writer at the now-defunct tabloid under Coulson, told the phone-hacking trial that the practice of eavesdropping on others' voicemails was so endemic that even "the office cat" knew about it. |
| He received a 10-month sentence, suspended for a year, and 200 hours of community service. | He received a 10-month sentence, suspended for a year, and 200 hours of community service. |
| The judge Mr Justice Saunders, passing sentence at the Old Bailey, told Evans that under normal circumstances he could have expected a "significant" jail term after admitting two counts of phone hacking, one of misconduct in public office for paying a prison officer and police officer for stories, and one of perverting the course of justice for making a false high court statement after the interior designer Kelly Hoppen sued the News of the World over a voicemail hack. | |
| However, the judge said Evans had been alone among former News of the World staff in cooperating closely with police and prosecutors in the hacking trial and had proved a "witness of truth", even if everything he said in the witness stand had perhaps not been completely accurate. | |
| "It became clear in the trial I have just completed that getting people who work in newspapers to give evidence of phone hacking is difficult, if not impossible," Saunders said. "The undisputed evidence in the trial was that between 2004 and 2006 there was a great deal of phone hacking at the News of the World. While I have no doubt it wasn't done openly, it must have been known about by more people than have been prepared to give evidence about it in court." | "It became clear in the trial I have just completed that getting people who work in newspapers to give evidence of phone hacking is difficult, if not impossible," Saunders said. "The undisputed evidence in the trial was that between 2004 and 2006 there was a great deal of phone hacking at the News of the World. While I have no doubt it wasn't done openly, it must have been known about by more people than have been prepared to give evidence about it in court." |
| He added: "Why so few people have been prepared to give evidence in court about what went on is not for me to say, but it makes Mr Evans' position unique." | He added: "Why so few people have been prepared to give evidence in court about what went on is not for me to say, but it makes Mr Evans' position unique." |
| Saunders told Evans, 38, that the normal sentence for the two phone-hacking counts would be nine months' prison each, to run concurrently, but these were being reduced to four months each. The sentence for the misconduct in public office was also reduced from nine months to four, and the final count from four months to two, both to run consecutively, giving a total of 10 months, suspended for 12 months. | Saunders told Evans, 38, that the normal sentence for the two phone-hacking counts would be nine months' prison each, to run concurrently, but these were being reduced to four months each. The sentence for the misconduct in public office was also reduced from nine months to four, and the final count from four months to two, both to run consecutively, giving a total of 10 months, suspended for 12 months. |
| "I would not have done that had Mr Evans not made a clean breast of his involvement in these offences," the judge added. | "I would not have done that had Mr Evans not made a clean breast of his involvement in these offences," the judge added. |
| Mark Bryant-Heron QC, prosecuting, detailed much of the same phone-hacking evidence given by Evans himself at the hacking trial. Evans began as a freelance news reporter at the Sunday Mirror in 2003, later joining the staff, and was taught by an unnamed senior staff member how to hack voicemails. | Mark Bryant-Heron QC, prosecuting, detailed much of the same phone-hacking evidence given by Evans himself at the hacking trial. Evans began as a freelance news reporter at the Sunday Mirror in 2003, later joining the staff, and was taught by an unnamed senior staff member how to hack voicemails. |
| Such was Evans' success that he was courted at length by the News of the World and joined the features team in 2005 while Coulson was editor of the paper. There, the court was told, he hacked phones "on most days", using a succession of anonymous pay-as-you-go mobile phones, and eventually listened to and recorded about 1,000 voicemails from around 200 people. | Such was Evans' success that he was courted at length by the News of the World and joined the features team in 2005 while Coulson was editor of the paper. There, the court was told, he hacked phones "on most days", using a succession of anonymous pay-as-you-go mobile phones, and eventually listened to and recorded about 1,000 voicemails from around 200 people. |
| The misconduct in public office charge was the only offence not detailed at the earlier trial. This, Bryant-Heron said, related to a payment of £400, via a third party, to a prison officer at HMP Franklin, the jail where Ian Huntley was incarcerated. The payment led to a story in 2008 about the mental state of the child murderer, headlined "Tormented Huntley in jail death plea". | The misconduct in public office charge was the only offence not detailed at the earlier trial. This, Bryant-Heron said, related to a payment of £400, via a third party, to a prison officer at HMP Franklin, the jail where Ian Huntley was incarcerated. The payment led to a story in 2008 about the mental state of the child murderer, headlined "Tormented Huntley in jail death plea". |
| In 2010 he paid £750, also through a third party, to a policeman for a story about the soap actor Steve McFadden. The officer involved in the McFadden tipoff was later jailed for 14 months for accepting payments from Evans and others, the court was told. | In 2010 he paid £750, also through a third party, to a policeman for a story about the soap actor Steve McFadden. The officer involved in the McFadden tipoff was later jailed for 14 months for accepting payments from Evans and others, the court was told. |
| The final charge related to a high court action taken by Hoppen after Evans tried and failed to hack her phone in 2009, three years after the News of the World, according to Evans' account, ordered an end to phone hacking following initial arrests over the practice. | The final charge related to a high court action taken by Hoppen after Evans tried and failed to hack her phone in 2009, three years after the News of the World, according to Evans' account, ordered an end to phone hacking following initial arrests over the practice. |
| Evans initially gave a false statement saying he had only dialled Hoppen's number from his own mobile because "sticky keys" produced an accidental call, but retracted this version following his arrest, Bryant-Heron said. | Evans initially gave a false statement saying he had only dialled Hoppen's number from his own mobile because "sticky keys" produced an accidental call, but retracted this version following his arrest, Bryant-Heron said. |
| Jonathan Turner, defending Evans, said that his client "simply joined" a hacking operation at the News of the World and did not begin the practice. He came under intense pressure to produce stories, and his hacking became reckless, Turner said | Jonathan Turner, defending Evans, said that his client "simply joined" a hacking operation at the News of the World and did not begin the practice. He came under intense pressure to produce stories, and his hacking became reckless, Turner said |
| "Far from enjoying the fruits of his labours he was becoming depressed and demoralised and, tellingly perhaps, careless," Turner said. "There must have been times when he looked at himself and hated what he saw, that he had been reduced to this. He can only apologise to the hundreds of people who were affected by his actions." | "Far from enjoying the fruits of his labours he was becoming depressed and demoralised and, tellingly perhaps, careless," Turner said. "There must have been times when he looked at himself and hated what he saw, that he had been reduced to this. He can only apologise to the hundreds of people who were affected by his actions." |
| In further mitigation, Turner said the journalist had not declined to cooperate when he was refused immunity from prosecution in return for his evidence. "He has gone the extra mile. It's not just a matter of pleading guilty." | In further mitigation, Turner said the journalist had not declined to cooperate when he was refused immunity from prosecution in return for his evidence. "He has gone the extra mile. It's not just a matter of pleading guilty." |
| Earlier in the same hearing, Brooks's security team had all charges against them dropped in relation to an alleged conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, following last month's acquittal of the former News International chief executive and her husband, Charlie Brooks. | Earlier in the same hearing, Brooks's security team had all charges against them dropped in relation to an alleged conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, following last month's acquittal of the former News International chief executive and her husband, Charlie Brooks. |
| The judge found there was no case to answer after Brooks's husband was cleared of conspiring with Lee Sandell, 28, Daryl Jorsling, 41, David Johnson, 48, and Paul Edwards, 49, to conceal a computer and pornography behind a bin in the underground car park at the Brooks' Chelsea home. | |
| Bryant-Heron told the judge: "Following the verdicts returned by the jury in the long-running trial that has recently finished, the prosecution indicated that they would review and revisit the case against these named defendants. The prosecution have reached a decision that they will offer no evidence against these four defendants." | Bryant-Heron told the judge: "Following the verdicts returned by the jury in the long-running trial that has recently finished, the prosecution indicated that they would review and revisit the case against these named defendants. The prosecution have reached a decision that they will offer no evidence against these four defendants." |
| Saunders formally entered not-guilty verdicts for each of the four. | Saunders formally entered not-guilty verdicts for each of the four. |