Journo says sorry to Charles
2006-11-29 14:29
London - A tabloid journalist accused of hacking into the voicemail system in Prince Charles's office pleaded guilty Wednesday, and apologised to the prince and his sons.
Clive Goodman, 48, the royal editor of the News of the World, was arrested after members of the prince's household reported suspected security breaches in the telephone network.
Goodman was suspended from his job at the newspaper, Britain's largest-selling Sunday paper.
Glenn Mulcaire, 35, pleaded guilty to the same charge, plus five further charges of unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages.
Other victims of Mulcaire's snooping, the court heard, included the model Elle Macpherson; Gordon Taylor, chair of the professional footballers association; Andrew Skylet, agent for soccer player Sol Campbell; and Simon Hughes, a member of parliament.
Goodman's lawyer, John Kelsey-Fry, said his client offered apologies to the princes.
"He wishes through me to take the first opportunity to apologise publicly to those affected by his actions," Kelsey-Fry said.
'Gross invasion of privacy'
"He accepts they were a gross invasion of privacy and Mr Goodman accepts that this characterisation is correct.
p>"He therefore apologises unreservedly to the three members of the royal household staff concerned and their principals, Prince William, Prince Harry and the Prince of Wales."
Goodman remained free on bail pending sentencing.
Tom Bradby, political editor for ITN television news, had reported that suspicions were aroused when the News of the World printed details of a planned private meeting between himself and Charles's son, Prince William.
The two realised someone might have listened to their phone messages and William's chief of staff contacted police, Bradby said.
Sensitive issue for Charles
Eavesdropping is a sensitive issue for the royal family.
Charles was the victim of an embarrassing intercept in 1989.
The prince and his current wife, Camilla, were recorded having an explicit phone conversation while he was still married to Princess Diana.
The Sun newspaper later published the transcripts, and ran excerpts of a conversation between Diana and a man who affectionately called her "Squidgy".
- AP