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| Met officer offered 'to sell information' to News of the World, court told | Met officer offered 'to sell information' to News of the World, court told |
| (3 months later) | |
| A senior police officer in Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit telephoned the News of the World to tell them the paper's former editor Andy Coulson and five other people were being investigated by the Metropolitan police over alleged phone hacking. | A senior police officer in Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit telephoned the News of the World to tell them the paper's former editor Andy Coulson and five other people were being investigated by the Metropolitan police over alleged phone hacking. |
| In the first day of the trial at Southwark crown court in London of detective chief inspector April Casburn on Monday, prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron told the jury she had phoned the paper at 7.51am on Saturday, 11 September, 2010 with the tip off. | In the first day of the trial at Southwark crown court in London of detective chief inspector April Casburn on Monday, prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron told the jury she had phoned the paper at 7.51am on Saturday, 11 September, 2010 with the tip off. |
| She spoke with a journalist on the News of the World night desk, Tim Wood, for eight minutes and 37 seconds and offered "to sell information" to the paper about an investigation Scotland Yard had launched the day before into fresh allegations made about phone hacking in the New York Times. | She spoke with a journalist on the News of the World night desk, Tim Wood, for eight minutes and 37 seconds and offered "to sell information" to the paper about an investigation Scotland Yard had launched the day before into fresh allegations made about phone hacking in the New York Times. |
| The court heard that Casburn was working in the counter terrorism SO15 unit at the time and was responsible for financial investigations into suspected criminals. | The court heard that Casburn was working in the counter terrorism SO15 unit at the time and was responsible for financial investigations into suspected criminals. |
| Bryant-Heron said that Wood wrote a memo to the paper's news editor, Ian Edmondson, and crime editor, Lucy Panton, describing the conversation immediately after the phone call. | Bryant-Heron said that Wood wrote a memo to the paper's news editor, Ian Edmondson, and crime editor, Lucy Panton, describing the conversation immediately after the phone call. |
| In the email, marked "phone tapping", he briefed Edmondson and asked Panton to "look at" the allegations made by Casburn. | In the email, marked "phone tapping", he briefed Edmondson and asked Panton to "look at" the allegations made by Casburn. |
| Wood told them Casburn had said that the Met's then assistant commissioner, John Yates, had launched the investigation into mobile phone hacking the day before and was "looking at six people" including Coulson and Sean Hoare, a reporter, now deceased, who had been interviewed by the New York Times for an article on phone hacking. | Wood told them Casburn had said that the Met's then assistant commissioner, John Yates, had launched the investigation into mobile phone hacking the day before and was "looking at six people" including Coulson and Sean Hoare, a reporter, now deceased, who had been interviewed by the New York Times for an article on phone hacking. |
| Three others on the paper were being investigated, Casburn alleged in the phone call, but police did not know where they were and she did not know their names, according to the email. | Three others on the paper were being investigated, Casburn alleged in the phone call, but police did not know where they were and she did not know their names, according to the email. |
| Casburn had told Wood that Yates was being put under pressure by Lord Prescott and offered her own opinion about the prospects of prosecuting anyone for alleged phone hacking. | Casburn had told Wood that Yates was being put under pressure by Lord Prescott and offered her own opinion about the prospects of prosecuting anyone for alleged phone hacking. |
| He also noted that she "wants to sell inside information" and that she had said Yates was "using counter-terrorism assets, which was unusual". | He also noted that she "wants to sell inside information" and that she had said Yates was "using counter-terrorism assets, which was unusual". |
| The conversation with Wood came to light after News International handed over the email to Scotland Yard, which led to Casburn's arrest on 21 December 2011, the court heard. | The conversation with Wood came to light after News International handed over the email to Scotland Yard, which led to Casburn's arrest on 21 December 2011, the court heard. |
| She was subsequently charged with misconduct in public office and has pleaded not guilty. | She was subsequently charged with misconduct in public office and has pleaded not guilty. |
| The jury heard that at the time of the call to the News of the World, one of Casburn's team had been asked to join Operation Varec, the Metropolitan police's review of its original inquiry into phone hacking, because they could assist with allegations of potential corrupt relationships between press and police. | The jury heard that at the time of the call to the News of the World, one of Casburn's team had been asked to join Operation Varec, the Metropolitan police's review of its original inquiry into phone hacking, because they could assist with allegations of potential corrupt relationships between press and police. |
| "She said she was concerned by the use of resources to combat terrorism being diverted to this investigation. She says that much of what she told the News of the World was public knowledge anyway through various public announcements," said Bryant-Heron. | "She said she was concerned by the use of resources to combat terrorism being diverted to this investigation. She says that much of what she told the News of the World was public knowledge anyway through various public announcements," said Bryant-Heron. |
| "This was a gross breach of the trust the public had in a senior police officer," he told the jury. | "This was a gross breach of the trust the public had in a senior police officer," he told the jury. |
| He asked the jury to consider why she went to the very paper that was the subject of the investigation. | He asked the jury to consider why she went to the very paper that was the subject of the investigation. |
| Casburn has said in her defence submitted to the court that she never asked for money and had phoned because she was concerned that public funds were being diverted from terrorism into the News of the World investigation. | Casburn has said in her defence submitted to the court that she never asked for money and had phoned because she was concerned that public funds were being diverted from terrorism into the News of the World investigation. |
| Bryant-Heron said Casburn admitted she made the call, but argued that it was "foolish" rather than misconduct in public office. | Bryant-Heron said Casburn admitted she made the call, but argued that it was "foolish" rather than misconduct in public office. |
| Casburn is said to have been under pressure at the time and was going through a difficult divorce. She had also begun an adoption process and had been subjected to two years of bullying at work. | Casburn is said to have been under pressure at the time and was going through a difficult divorce. She had also begun an adoption process and had been subjected to two years of bullying at work. |
| Giving evidence, Wood said that during the phone call Casburn seemed to be very exercised by Prescott's involvement. "The one thing that stands out in my mind was that she kept going on about Lord Prescott; that he was pressuring to put charges on the News of the World. She was almost saying that she felt it was interfering in the scandal, so to speak, and she resented that," he told the court. | Giving evidence, Wood said that during the phone call Casburn seemed to be very exercised by Prescott's involvement. "The one thing that stands out in my mind was that she kept going on about Lord Prescott; that he was pressuring to put charges on the News of the World. She was almost saying that she felt it was interfering in the scandal, so to speak, and she resented that," he told the court. |
| "She was almost justifying the call [because of] interference by Prescott," he said under questioning by the prosecution. | "She was almost justifying the call [because of] interference by Prescott," he said under questioning by the prosecution. |
| Wood confirmed that Casburn gave two names of people being investigated – Coulson and Hoare. | Wood confirmed that Casburn gave two names of people being investigated – Coulson and Hoare. |
| The former News of the World journalist said his "recollection is not great" of the phone call, but that "she must have said she wanted to be paid" otherwise he would not have suggested this in his email. He said it was the last thing he wrote before he finished a 13-hour shift. | The former News of the World journalist said his "recollection is not great" of the phone call, but that "she must have said she wanted to be paid" otherwise he would not have suggested this in his email. He said it was the last thing he wrote before he finished a 13-hour shift. |
| Patrick Gibbs, counsel for Casburn, said she denied asking to be paid for information: "My suggestion is she never said she wanted to sell the information." | Patrick Gibbs, counsel for Casburn, said she denied asking to be paid for information: "My suggestion is she never said she wanted to sell the information." |
| He questioned Wood on how well he could remember the detail of the phone call when it was made at the end of a long shift. | He questioned Wood on how well he could remember the detail of the phone call when it was made at the end of a long shift. |
| Gibbs asked Wood if the phone-hacking scandal was being written about in newspapers at the time. He said yes, it was being reported in the Guardian, and confirmed that he would have been reading the stories. | Gibbs asked Wood if the phone-hacking scandal was being written about in newspapers at the time. He said yes, it was being reported in the Guardian, and confirmed that he would have been reading the stories. |
| The jury heard that the New York Times article about phone hacking appeared 10 days before Casburn phoned the News of the World and that she was not directly involved in the investigation. | The jury heard that the New York Times article about phone hacking appeared 10 days before Casburn phoned the News of the World and that she was not directly involved in the investigation. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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