Sven-Goran Erikssons phone hacked over period of years, court hears Former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson had his phone hacked by the News of the World between 2002 and 2006, the Old Bailey has heard. The paper tasked specialist hacker Glenn Mulcaire to intercept his voicemails to find out more about Faria Alam, a personal assistant at the Football Association who Eriksson was having an affair with in 2004, the court was told. Eriksson was also targeted several times between January 2006 and June 2006 before he quit as England boss. The jury was told that recordings of at least two voicemails were found at Mulcaires home when he was arrested in August 2006 in relation to hacking at the paper. One voicemail Mulcaire recorded was from the Everton chairman Bill Kenwright in 2004. Mark Bryant-Heron, counsel for the prosecution, read a transcript of this to the jury which related to former England player James Beattie. Hi Sven, Greetings from Bill Kenwright and Jenny. I didnt manage to get back to you before I signed James Beattie and wanted to talk to you about another England player before I signed him. If you have a moment, please give me a ring [gives his mobile number]. Love to you both. Between 17 January and 20 January 2006, there were five calls from Mulcaire to one of Erikssons mobiles, the jury was told. Mr Justice Saunders asked Bryant-Heron if he was suggesting that these calls were hacks, to which he replied yes. Two days later on 22 January, the News of the World carried an article headlined: This Man is a crook. Bryant-Heron said this was relating to an undercover sting on Sven perpetrated by Mazher Mahmood, a reference to the undercover investigations journalist employed by the News of the World. A further two calls were made by Mulcaire to an Eriksson number on 25 and 27 January. One call lasted 42 seconds. The prosecution case is that these are hacks as well, said Bryant Heron. Two days later on 29 January, an article appeared in the News of the World headlined: I was sacked from the best job in the world, going on to tell readers how the England coach will quit after his shameful comments to an undercover News of the World reporter. The jury was given details of alleged taskings of Mulcaire by the News of the Worlds news editors Greg Miskiw in 2004. One page from Mulcaires notes had the word Greg on the top left-hand corner with a note re Eriksson and Faria Alam. Alam was a personal assistant at the Football Associations headquarters at the time and had a relationship with Eriksson in 2004, the prosecution said. Another note made by Mulcaire indicated that Alams pin number had been reset. Mulcaire pleaded guilty to charges related to phone hacking earlier this year in proceedings that were first reported when the trial opened last week. The trial continues.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:53:52 +0000
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