outlook bleak for coulson in hacking trial

Dan Evans, the ex News of The World reporter currently on trial for phone hacking, is undoubtedly guilty of some pretty dreadful stuff in his journalistic career. He was known as an expert of the ‘dark arts’ in journalism to such an extent that he was poached off the Daily Mirror by the NOTW, seemingly exclusively for his ability (and willingness) to hack into the voicemail messages of various public figures.

He’s not someone that would usually garner much sympathy. However, it’s now become clear that he will be holding no punches in testifying against the big dogs at the NOTW – the Coulson’s and, (eventually you’d expect) the Rebbecca Brooks’ of this world. In all likelihood Evans will go to prison for his crimes, but if his testimony leads to the unraveling of the truth behind the ‘conspiracy’ at the NOTW and tabloid journalism in general, then perhaps he has gone someway to redeeming himself. If his testimony is the beginning of a trend in the case for reporters laying the blame at the door of their seniors, there is no saying where the buck might eventually stop. Lest we forget, the real hand grenade in this whole affair is the fact that Coulson was employed as Director of Communications for the Conservative Party long after resigning as Editor of NOTW when the phone hacking fiasco initially surfaced in 2007. There will be great interest to see how high up the chain of power this case reaches.

For more news on the case as it unfolds, keep an eye on the Guardian’s site.