Andy Coulson tells jury he didn't know phone hacking was a crime in 2002

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/15/andy-coulson-phone-hacking-crime

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The former editor of the News of the World, Andy Coulson, has said he did not know hacking phones was a crime at the time Milly Dowler's voicemails were accessed.

Coulson has denied knowing anything about the hacking of the missing schoolgirl's phone on 10 April 2002 by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire on behalf of the paper.

In his second day in the witness box at the phone-hacking trial on Tuesday Coulson, also the former director of communications to David Cameron, said if he had known about the practice of eavesdropping on messages at the time, he would have thought it was "intrusive".

"I would have thought it was a breach of privacy and I would have thought it was lazy journalism," he added, during questioning by his defence counsel, Timothy Langdale QC.

"Were you ever party to or in agreement to phone hacking at the News of the World?" Langdale asked.

"No, I was not," Coulson replied.

"In terms of the Milly Dowler story were you aware of any activity by the News of the World in relation to hacking Milly Dowler's voicemail?" he was then asked.

"No, I was not," Coulson said.

Langdale asked: "Taking your state of mind to the spring of 2002 [the time Milly Dowler's phone was hacked], it is a date we've got to consider, were you aware that to access somebody else's voicemail was, in fact, a crime?"

"No," he replied.

He was asked: "In so far as you had a view about it in terms of accessing somebody else's voicemail, how did you see it, if it wasn't a crime, was it something you had a problem with ... ?"

Coulson said: "I would have thought it was intrusive. I would have thought it was a breach of privacy and I would have thought it was lazy."

Earlier he was asked about his knowledge of hacking prior to 2002.

"I think I was aware of it in pretty vague terms. Yes. I think it was in the ether, if I can put it that way, something that was gossiped about maybe," Coulson said, adding it was something he did not have "personal knowledge or experience" of.

He said he knew that it existed and "assumed it was to do with voicemail messaging".

Coulson has been giving evidence for the first time in the trial which has now been underway for five-and-a-half months.

He is facing three charges, one a conspiracy to hack phones and two counts in relation to allegations of corruption of public officials, all of which he denies.

Coulson said "part of News of the World's DNA was catching criminals" and therefore the paper "came into close contact with the police on a pretty regular basis".

Coulson and Brooks both deny conspiring to hack phones.

The trial continues.