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| Siobhain McDonagh's mobile was stolen from her car in south London at the time of the Labour leadership contest between Ed and David Miliband. Photograph: PA |
The Sun was prepared to pay £10,000 for a story based on the
contents of a stolen phone belonging to a Labour MP during the
leadership contest between the Miliband brothers, a jury has heard.
Siobhain McDonagh parked her car in Tooting, south London, in October 2010 and left her handbag inside, containing, among other things, her mobile phone which was not password protected, the prosecutor opening the case against the Sun journalist Nick Parker told the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
Within minutes her car window had been smashed and the phone stolen along with the rest of the contents of her handbag, Michael Parroy QC said.
Around 45 minutes later, the alleged thief, Michael Ankers “was using the handset with his own SIM card in it, having on his own account thrown away the SIM originally in the phone”, Parroy said.
The next day Ankers contacted the Sun and told them he had an MP’s phone, which he claimed to have found on the tube.
An arrangement was made for Ankers to meet Parker at a hotel in Richmond, the jury was told.
Parker is on trial for five alleged offences including dishonestly receiving stolen goods and of unlawfully accessing the phone between 17 October and 21 October 2010. He has denied all charges.
Ankers has been charged with the theft of the phone and dishonestly receiving stolen goods, charges he too denies.
The Sun agreed to pay Ankers £10,000 if it published a story based on the phone’s contents, the jury was told.
The prosecution claimed Parker had spent almost six hours “transcribing, copying in the contents of the phone” in the hotel.
In a memo to his bosses, Parker categorised the contents of the phone under headings including “racy text conversation” and “champagne”.
The phone was stolen at the time of the leadership contest between David and Ed Miliband, and the contents included material showing which of the two brothers McDonagh supported.
At the meeting with Ankers, Parker “either personally, or via a technician, downloaded the contents of the phone onto his own laptop or more likely, read what was on the phone and typed the contents into his own laptop”, Parroy said.
“Both of them knew they had no business whatsoever going into the phone, looking at its contacts, emails etc,” he said, adding that Parker met Ankers again the next along with a photographer, by which time the phone had been handed in to the police.
“He arranged that meeting to be photographed because he thought the phone to be stolen,” said Parroy, and therefore must have known he was “acting dishonestly”.
Parroy told jurors that Parker was “not entitled … just because he is a reporter, to interrogate someone else’s phone he has no business to have in his possession at all”.
Parker has also pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting a police officer, Alan Tierney, who the jury has heard had previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office in 2009.
He has also pleaded not guilty to a fifth count, of aiding and abetting a prison officer who was charged with misconduct in public office in 2007.
Lee Brockhouse, a prison officer at HMP Swaleside, is on trial with Parker at the Old Bailey, as is Ankers. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face.
Brockhouse is accused of entering into an agreement with the Sun and disclosing confidential information to the paper in exchange for money.
He has also been charged with selling stories to The People newspaper, which he denies.
The trial continues.
Siobhain McDonagh parked her car in Tooting, south London, in October 2010 and left her handbag inside, containing, among other things, her mobile phone which was not password protected, the prosecutor opening the case against the Sun journalist Nick Parker told the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
Within minutes her car window had been smashed and the phone stolen along with the rest of the contents of her handbag, Michael Parroy QC said.
Around 45 minutes later, the alleged thief, Michael Ankers “was using the handset with his own SIM card in it, having on his own account thrown away the SIM originally in the phone”, Parroy said.
The next day Ankers contacted the Sun and told them he had an MP’s phone, which he claimed to have found on the tube.
An arrangement was made for Ankers to meet Parker at a hotel in Richmond, the jury was told.
Parker is on trial for five alleged offences including dishonestly receiving stolen goods and of unlawfully accessing the phone between 17 October and 21 October 2010. He has denied all charges.
Ankers has been charged with the theft of the phone and dishonestly receiving stolen goods, charges he too denies.
The Sun agreed to pay Ankers £10,000 if it published a story based on the phone’s contents, the jury was told.
The prosecution claimed Parker had spent almost six hours “transcribing, copying in the contents of the phone” in the hotel.
In a memo to his bosses, Parker categorised the contents of the phone under headings including “racy text conversation” and “champagne”.
The phone was stolen at the time of the leadership contest between David and Ed Miliband, and the contents included material showing which of the two brothers McDonagh supported.
At the meeting with Ankers, Parker “either personally, or via a technician, downloaded the contents of the phone onto his own laptop or more likely, read what was on the phone and typed the contents into his own laptop”, Parroy said.
“Both of them knew they had no business whatsoever going into the phone, looking at its contacts, emails etc,” he said, adding that Parker met Ankers again the next along with a photographer, by which time the phone had been handed in to the police.
“He arranged that meeting to be photographed because he thought the phone to be stolen,” said Parroy, and therefore must have known he was “acting dishonestly”.
Parroy told jurors that Parker was “not entitled … just because he is a reporter, to interrogate someone else’s phone he has no business to have in his possession at all”.
Parker has also pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting a police officer, Alan Tierney, who the jury has heard had previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office in 2009.
He has also pleaded not guilty to a fifth count, of aiding and abetting a prison officer who was charged with misconduct in public office in 2007.
Lee Brockhouse, a prison officer at HMP Swaleside, is on trial with Parker at the Old Bailey, as is Ankers. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face.
Brockhouse is accused of entering into an agreement with the Sun and disclosing confidential information to the paper in exchange for money.
He has also been charged with selling stories to The People newspaper, which he denies.
The trial continues.
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