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Security plans for Princess Diana's home found at Clive Goodman's home, trial hears

16/05/2014

By Martin Hickman.Police security plans for Princess Diana's former home were found at the home of a News of the World reporter when he was arrested by detectives for phone hacking, the Old Bailey heard today.Andrew Edis, lead prosecutor, told the court that at least six internal police documents were discovered at the Putney house of NoW royal editor Clive Goodman in August 2006.Copies of royal phone directories were also found at Mr Goodman's property, leading to him being charged now with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office - which he denies.Continuing his evidence at the current trial, Mr Goodman said that he was lying when he told his then editor, Andy Coulson (who is also charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office) in emails that he was paying "a palace cop" for the phone books.Mr Edis asked him: "Are you saying you never had a police source?"Mr Goodman replied: "No.""Why not?" the prosecutor asked.Mr Goodman said: "The police who guard the royal family are very unique. They are fairly hostile [to the press]... they are not natural friends of journalists."Turning to the documentation found at his house, Mr Edis said they dated back to the 1990s. Among them were a mugshot-like photograph of a man and a custody record regarding a suspect who was never taken to court.Referring to the custody record, Mr Edis asked: "Where did you get it?", to which Mr Goodman replied: "I got it from another member of staff at the News of the World."When he gave the same answer to the same question about another document, Mr Edis asked: "So the newspaper has police sources, but you don't."Mr Goodman replied: "No."The prosecutor said one police document came from the Met's Royal Protection department, while another one was about someone bothering Princess Diana.Another police document was a map of Kensington Palace and the surrounding area, marked: "Deployment of units if incident". Numbers on circles indicated where units would be stationed if there was an incident.Mr Edis told the court: "If we turn over the page, details of the alarms system."It's where the police were to go or stand if there was a problem at Kensington Palace."He asked Goodman: "It's an internal police document about security at a royal palace, isn't it."Mr Goodman agreed that it was, but said that he believed it had been thrown out with furniture during a refit of Kensington Palace after Princess Diana's death.The case continues on Monday, when Mr Goodman is expected to complete his evidence.

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