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 Coulson, editor of the Rupert Murdoch tabloid until 2007 and then
Cameron's head of communications up to early 2011, listened in to a
recording of a voicemail left by the actress Sienna Miller for James
Bond actor Daniel Craig, Dan Evans, a former News of the World
journalist told London's Old Bailey Court.
The recording was played by Evans to Coulson and several other
senior figures on the paper in the newsroom after he had hacked into
Craig's voicemail.
"Andy came over wanting to hear the tape. I played the tape a couple
of times and they listened to it," Evans, who has pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to hack phones, told the court. "Andy became very
animated, (he was saying) 'brilliant.'"
Another journalist who was present took Evans by the arm and said:
"You are a company man now."
The voicemail, which Evans described as the "incontrovertible
truth," revealed that Miller and Craig were having an affair, Evans
said.
"I heard a female voice saying 'Hi, it's me, I can't speak, I'm at
the Groucho (club) with Jude. I love you,'" he said. Coulson is on
trial accused of conspiracy to illegally intercept voicemail
messages on mobile phones and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a
public office, charges he denies.
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At the height of the phone-hacking furor in July 2011, which
resulted in the closure of the mass-selling tabloid, Cameron said he
would make a profound apology if it turned out Coulson had lied
about his knowledge of phone hacking.
The court was told on Monday that Evans had pleaded guilty to the
same hacking offense, the fourth journalist from the paper to have
admitted the charge.
(Reporting by Michael Holden and Kate Holton; editing by Steve
Addison)
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