The Sun newspaper came into possession of a Labour MP’s mobile phone after a thief smashed the window of her car and stole her handbag, a jury has heard.
Siobhain McDonagh had parked her car in Tooting, south London, in October 2010 and had left her handbag inside, which contained, among other things, her mobile phone which was not password protected, the jury at the Old Bailey was told by the prosecution opening the case against Sun journalist Nick Parker.
Within minutes the car window had been smashed and the phone was stolen, along with the rest of the contents of her handbag, Michael Parroy QC, said.
Some 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 the phone of an MP. He claimed he had found the phone on a tube.
An arrangement was then made that Ankers would meet the Sun reporter Nick 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 theft of the phone and of “dishonestly receiving stolen goods”, charges he denies.
Parroy said that at that meeting 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.”
“Both of them knew they had no business whatsoever going into the phone, looking at its contacts, emails etc,” the prosecutor said, going on to say that the next day, Parker met Ankers again with a photographer accompanying him, 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’s else’s phone he has no business to have in his possession at all.”
Parker has also pleaded not guilty of aiding and abetting a police officer, Alan Tierney, who the jury has heard had previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office in 2009.
In addition, the Sun journalist has pleaded not guilty to a fifth count, one of aiding and abetting a prison officer, who was charged with misconduct in public office in 2007.
Lee Brockhouse, a prison office 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.
Parroy told jurors that Parker “knew perfectly well that Tierney was a police officer,” and that as a public servant he had no lawful right to sell stories to the press.
“Nonetheless, Parker was prepared to encourage the officer to act in this way so he could buy the stories for his paper,” said Parroy.
Brockhouse has also been charged with selling stories to The People newspaper, which he denies.
Parroy said that Brockhouse and Tierney “felt safe no doubt” in dealing with the Sun because they knew the press policy was to keep sources confidential.
But, he said, while a free press was an essential part of a free society, it did not mean the press were “above the law” or that public servants were entitled to sell information they get as part of their jobs to newspapers.
