The Metropolitan Police has admitted the decision to close the phone hacking investigation was taken too quickly “with a defensive and closed mindset”. Neil Garnham QC, representing the force at the Leveson Inquiry, said in a closing submission yesterday the force was willing to acknowledge mistakes and learn from its errors. The original investigation –… Read more »
Senior Met officer John Yates “pushed back” against suggestions for a new investigation into phone hacking in 2009, the Leveson Inquiry has heard. Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer, who continued giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry this afternoon, said he thought there should have been an examination of the “for Neville” email, potentially implicating other News of… Read more »
The Crown Prosecution Service relied on information from the police over the phone hacking investigation, the Director of Public Prosecutions has told the Leveson Inquiry. Keir Starmer was asked about his response to allegations the CPS made a deliberate decision not to prosecute a senior executive at News of the World over phone hacking in… Read more »
A former assistant Met commissioner attended the wedding of a News of the World crime reporter, the Leveson Inquiry has heard. Lucy Panton, who worked at the paper from 2002 until it shut down last year, said Yates was a working friend who attended her wedding, and the wedding of Jeff Edwards, chair of the… Read more »
The former deputy editor of the News of the World has denied having an “arm lock” on senior figures in the Metropolitan Police. Neil Wallis, who appeared before the Leveson Inquiry in December last year, was recalled today to answer further questions on the nature of his relationships with senior officers in the force. He… Read more »
The police team investigating phone hacking allegations will be the size of “eight murder squads”, it has been claimed to the Leveson Inquiry. Deputy London mayor for policing Kit Malthouse said the number of staff working on Operation Weeting and other relevant investigations was expected to rise to 200 next year. He told the inquiry… Read more »
