Hacking journalist won't be charged
11:06am Thursday 14th June 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013
The Crown Prosecution Service said a Guardian journalist who admitted phone hacking will not be charged
A Guardian journalist who admitted phone hacking will not be prosecuted, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
David Leigh, the paper's investigations executive editor, admitted hacking an arms company executive's phone. But the CPS said that although the police investigation was not complete, its view was that Mr Leigh should not be prosecuted and the police have been advised accordingly.
Mr Leigh made the admission in an article after former News of the World royal reporter Clive Goodman pleaded guilty in December 2006 to intercepting voicemail messages left on royal aides' phones. He said in the article that he had got a "voyeuristic thrill" from listening to the voicemail messages.
The CPS statement said: "As we said on April 18, the CPS was passed a file relating to one journalist with relation to alleged offences under RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act).
"The journalist in question is David Leigh of The Guardian and the request for advice related to an article he wrote on December 4, 2006 and the evidence he gave to the Leveson Inquiry on that subject.
"We have now considered this file and, although the investigation is not complete, the view has been taken that this is one of those rare cases in which it is clear that, prior to the collection and consideration of all the evidence, the public interest does not require a prosecution. The police have been advised accordingly."
In a separate development, three people were arrested by police investigating allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials. A 40-year-old man and 37-year-old woman were arrested at their homes in Corby, Northamptonshire, while a 31-year-old man was arrested at his home in Croydon, Surrey.
A News International spokeswoman confirmed that one of the three individuals arrested today is a Sun journalist. She said she could not reveal the identity of the arrested person.
The 40-year-old, a former prison officer, was arrested on suspicion of corruption, suspicion of misconduct in a public office and suspicion of money laundering offences; the woman on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and suspicion of money laundering offences; and the other man on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and suspicion of conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office.
The arrests bring the number of suspects held in connection with Operation Elveden to 33. Scotland Yard said the arrests are the result of information provided by News Corporation's Management Standards Committee.
