Andy Coulson perjury trial coming up

Trial due to commence on Friday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-32704941

In case anyone is interested below is a link to beeb Scotland journo covering the case

https://mobile.twitter.com/BBCPhilipSim

Breaking news.

Andy Coulson cleared of perjury as case against him collapses

Andy Coulson cleared of perjury as trial collapses

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has been cleared of perjury after the case against him collapsed.

Judge Lord Burns ruled the 47-year-old had no case to answer midway through a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh,

Mr Coulson, who is also the prime minister's former head of communications, had denied committing perjury at the 2010 trial of former MSP Tommy Sheridan.

His defence team successfully argued that there was no case to answer.

The charge against Mr Coulson alleged he committed perjury when he told Mr Sheridan's trial that he had not known about phone hacking at the News of the World until the arrest of the now-defunct tabloid's royal editor Clive Goodman in 2006.




Written judgement

During Mr Coulson's perjury trial, the Crown led evidence from Mr Goodman and fellow former News of the World journalists Neville Thurlbeck and James Weatherup, who are all convicted phone hackers.

After hearing the prosecution evidence, the jury of nine men and six women was sent from the court last week as defence advocate Murdo MacLeod QC outlined an argument that there was no case to answer.

Mr MacLeod argued that in order to constitute perjury, false evidence given under oath must be relevant to the case being heard.

He noted that both Mr Sheridan and the Advocate Depute both said in their closing statements at the 2010 trial that the phone hacking testimony had little relevance to Mr Sheridan's defence.

Lord Burns returned a written judgement on Monday which upheld Mr MacLeod's submission, and formally acquitted Mr Coulson.

The ruling, which could not be reported until now, had been suspended for 48 hours while the Crown considered whether to lodge an appeal against the decision.

No appeal was made, and Mr Coulson was cleared more than three years after he was first charged.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32962263

candyfloss wrote:

After hearing the prosecution evidence, the jury of nine men and six women was sent from the court last week as defence advocate Murdo MacLeod QC outlined an argument that there was no case to answer.

Not this Murdo MacLeod, surely?

Just read that Andy Coulson's PR company has been hired by the Telegraph Media Group. The brief is thought to be to promote the papers as truthful and authoritative.

Wonder if Coulson knows anything?