Agencies/London
Andy Coulson yesterday denied listening to a hacked voicemail which allegedly revealed an affair between Sienna Miller and Daniel Craig.
The former News Of The World editor refused to accept claims made by ex-NoW reporter Dan Evans, who has admitted hacking a message the actress left on the James Bond star’s phone.
Evans said Coulson had become “animated” as a recording of the message was played in the newsroom in September 2005. The voicemail was “Hi, it’s me, can’t speak, at the Groucho with Jude, I love you”, the jury was told. At the time Miller was in a relationship with Jude Law.
Yesterday, when asked by his counsel whether Evans had ever played the voicemail to him, Coulson replied: “No, he did not.”
Coulson said he accepted he probably had spoken to Evans while he was a NoW reporter but “nothing stuck in my mind”.
Coulson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to intercept voicemails. He also denies two allegations of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office.
Coulson, however, admitted he “rubber-stamped” a payment to a royal source for a story, despite being warned by a colleague that being caught could end up with both parties in court.
Coulson said he “failed to address” his own suspicions about the reporter, who was asking for the cash to pay the source.
Coulson rejected a claim that he had bullied co-defendant and former royal editor Clive Goodman.
The payment, disclosed in an e-mail exchange between Goodman and Coulson in 2003, relates to a “green book” of contacts for royal staff.
In the e-mail, Goodman said he wanted to obtain the book for the “standard fee” of £1,000 from a royal policeman but the money should be paid in cash - something he needed Coulson to sign for.