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October 15, 2015

Pyatt and Pharo jury given majority direction

By PA Mediapoint

The jury deliberating in the retrial of two Sun journalists accused of paying a police officer for tips has been given a majority direction.

News editor Chris Pharo, 46, and district reporter JamiePyatt, 52, are charged with aiding and abetting the Surrey police officer to commit misconduct in a public office between 2002 and 2011.

The officer, referred to in court as 2044, allegedly received some £10,000 for information on high profile criminal investigations, including the murder of schoolgirl Milly Dowler, "trophy rapist" Tony Imiela and quadruple killer Daniel Gonzalez.

Pharo, from London, and Pyatt, of Windsor, have denied encouraging the officer to breach his professional duty.

On Tuesday, jurors were sent out to begin deliberating on verdicts after two weeks of evidence.

Yesterday, Judge Charles Wide QC told them he would now accept a verdict upon which at least 10 of them were agreed.

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