December 20, 2013

Prince William called Harry a ‘big hairy fat ginger’ during spoof voicemail hacked by Glenn Mulcaire, court told

Prince William left a spoof voicemail on his brother’s phone pretending to be Harry’s then girlfriend Chelsy Davy, describing the younger prince as a “big hairy fat ginger”, a court heard.

Police found the voicemail which featured a man putting on a high-pitched voice while searching Glenn Mulcaire’s home.

Prosecuting counsel Andrew Edis QC introduced the voicemail as: “Unknown male puts on a female voice pretending to be Chelsy.”

The message said: "Hi, it's Chelsy here. I just want to say I miss you so much and I think you are the best-looking ginger I have ever seen, although you really are quite ugly for a ginger, but hope you are having a lovely time. I really miss you. It is lovely out here in Africa and hopefully I will see you very soon, you big hairy fat ginger. Anyway, speak to you later."

Police also discovered a message left for Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a trusted aide to the princes, by Andrew Ritchie, William's commandant at Sandhurst.

The message, found at Mulcaire's home address, said: "Jamie, good morning, it's Andrew Ritchie. I would like to have a chat with you this morning if you could ring me back about an incident at the ball last night. I'm in the office till about 12.30pm and it would great to hear from you before then if possible."

It appears to relate to a story which later appeared in the newspaper – headlined "So Silly Willy" – in April 2006.

The story said: "Boozy Prince William and his gang of braying pals outraged guests at Prince Harry's passing out ball with his drunken antics."

The jury saw an email from Goodman to colleagues sent on 14 April 2006.

It said: "William and his group were massively drunk and upsetting other guests with their braying hooray henry antics. One of his friends was strutting around the ball pretending to be a brigadier and trying to issue orders.

"A lot of the cadets are from normal non-aristo backgrounds and found the royal party's behaviour offensive. William himself was sent upstairs to bed before the ball ended. Another was regaling guests with an anecdote about how his wallet had been stolen by a hooker the night before.

"William is furious the general has been talking to his private secretary."

It was noted that the events did happen and William was drunk, plus he was also sent to bed early and his friend did pretend to be a brigadier, but it "was not that bad".

In the email it is noted that WIlliam was making a strong defence regarding what happened that night.

It adds: "He is accusing people of lying to the general about him.

"The fact that commandant thought it important enough to call Clarence House shows how seriously he is taking it.

"But the chances of William facing a disciplinary are too slim.

"Ritchie's bollocked William by proxy though the prvate sec and he sees that as a job done.

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, 45, of Churchill, Oxfordshire; ex News of the World editor Andy Coulson, also 45, from Charing in Kent; and the tabloid's ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73, from Woodford Green, Essex, are all on trial accused of conspiring with others to hack phones between 3 October 2000 and 9 August 2006.

Former NoW and Sun editor Brooks is also accused of two counts of conspiring with others to commit misconduct in public office – one between 1 January 2004 and 31 January 2012 and the other between 9 February 2006 and 16 October 2008 – linked to alleged inappropriate payments to public officials.

She faces another two allegations of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice – one with her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 49, from Chelmsford in Essex, between 6 July and 9 July 2011; and a second with her husband, Charles Brooks, and former head of security at News International, Mark Hanna, and others between 15 July and 19 July 2011.

Coulson is also facing two allegations that he conspired with former NoW royal editor Clive Goodman, 56, from Addlestone in Surrey, and other unknown people to commit misconduct in public office – between 31 August 2002 and 31 January 2003, and between 31 January and 3 June 2005.

Jurors were told that news editor Ian Edmondson, who is charged with conspiring to hack phones between 3 October 2000 and 9 August 2006, is ''currently unfit'' and will take no further part in the trial.

All of the accused deny all of the charges.

The trial has adjourned for Christmas and will resume on 6 January 2014.