Charles Clarke tells how tabloids pursued false affair claim
The former home secretary told the phone hacking trial how he faced false rumours that he was having an affair with a “blonde, attractive” aide.
Day 14 in the phone hacking trial and the jury today heard evidence that the News of the World hacked the phone of an aide to the former-Home Secretary Charles Clarke.
Hannah Pawlby, who was special adviser to Mr Clarke until 2006, identified twelve messages left on her voicemail from a tape found at the flat of the paper’s private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
Two of the messages – played today in court – were left by the News of the World editor Andy Coulson.
Sitting for their last hearing of the week, the jury heard Mr Clarke and Ms Pawlby issue clear denials that they’d ever had an affair.
But eight years ago the rumour was being actively pursued by the News of the World and its News International stablemate The Sun, the court heard.
Mr Clarke told the court how he threatened to sue the latter paper if it printed false claims of an affair with his special adviser Hannah Pawlby.
The News of the World also became interested in “untrue rumours” about the pair. When asked about them by Andy Coulson’s counsel Alison Pople, Ms Pawlby told the court that claims of an affair had circulated around Westminster for nearly two years between 2004 and 2006. Ms Pawlby said there was “no truth” in the claim.
An email shown in court showed the paper became interested in the rumour after a tip from a Westminster insider. The paper’s features editor Jules Stenson wrote a note to Andy Coulson and his deputy Neil Wallis stating that Mr Clarke was “having an affair with his blonde, attractive special adviser Hannah Pawlby”.
Glenn Mulcaire is alleged to have investigated the story by hacking Ms Pawlby’s phone. A police search of his home found a tape containing 12 voicemail messages identified as having been left on his home, as well as information about Ms Pawlby’s brother, sister, parents and even her grandparents.
The tape of messages included two voicemails, played to the court, which were left for Ms Pawlby by NOTW editor Andy Coulson.
Ms Pawlby told the court that she never called Andy Coulson back. She says she never heard his two messages, because they’d already been listened to by someone else.
The jury will have to answer the question of what exactly was the then News of the World editor ringing her about. The prosecution claim it was to pursue the affair rumour. Mr Coulson’s defence point to two other stories in the News of the World that weekend that featured Mr Clarke – one about Ronnie Biggs – and another about an anti-bullying campaign.
Mr Coulson and the seven other defendants in this case deny the charges against them.