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| Detective 'offered NoW leaks for cash' | Detective 'offered NoW leaks for cash' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A former counter-terrorism detective offered information about the phone hacking inquiry to the News of the World for money, a court has heard. | A former counter-terrorism detective offered information about the phone hacking inquiry to the News of the World for money, a court has heard. |
| Det Chief Insp April Casburn is accused over Operation Varec, which considered whether Scotland Yard's inquiry into phone hacking should be reopened. | Det Chief Insp April Casburn is accused over Operation Varec, which considered whether Scotland Yard's inquiry into phone hacking should be reopened. |
| Prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron said she "sought to undermine a highly sensitive and high profile investigation". | |
| Ms Casburn denies one charge of misconduct in public office. | Ms Casburn denies one charge of misconduct in public office. |
| The charge relates to 11 September 2010 when she was working in counter-terrorism, managing the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit. | |
| Southwark Crown Court heard one of her team had been asked to carry out financial investigations as part of the Scotland Yard inquiry into phone hacking. | |
| It is alleged Ms Casburn rang the NoW's news desk at 07.51 BST to offer information in exchange for payment. She gave the names of two of the people under investigation during the conversation, it is said. | |
| 'Breach of trust' | |
| Mr Bryant-Heron said: "The prosecution says she sought to undermine a highly sensitive and high profile investigation at the point of its launch. | |
| "The prosecution says, and it's a matter for you 12, that the act of telephoning the News of the World to offer to sell information and the provision of some information during that call was misconduct, it was misconduct in public office. | |
| "It was a gross breach of the trust that the public places in a police officer not to disclose information on a current investigation in an unauthorised way, or to offer to do so in the future for payment." | |
| The newspaper did not publish anything and no payment changed hands, the court heard. | |
| Mr Bryant-Heron said Ms Casburn admits making the phone call but denies asking for money, and says she had a reasonable excuse. | |
| She says she was concerned that resources that were supposed to be used to combat terrorism were being allocated to the phone hacking investigation, and that much of the information was already public knowledge. | |
| Ms Casburn, 53, from Hatfield Peverel, Essex, is also facing a separate charge under the Official Secrets Act that can only be dealt with by magistrates. | Ms Casburn, 53, from Hatfield Peverel, Essex, is also facing a separate charge under the Official Secrets Act that can only be dealt with by magistrates. |
| It is alleged that she had secret documents at her home without permission to keep them there. | It is alleged that she had secret documents at her home without permission to keep them there. |