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Glenn Mulcaire hacked Kerry Katona’s mobile on Christmas Day 2005, court told

By Press Gazette

Glenn Mulcaire hacked Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona on Christmas Day 2005, the hacking trial heard.

Just a few days after, on New Year's Day 2006, a story appeared in the NoW about problems the 33-year-old was allegedly having with ex-husband Brian McFadden's mother.

She was also hacked four times in the space of three hours before the tabloid ran stories with the headlines Kerry In New Coke Shocker and Kerry Drug Row on 4 December 2005.

Mulcaire named Katona as a project on a computer entry as he monitored her after she split with Westlife singer McFadden in September 2004.

His interceptions of her voicemails were repeatedly followed by stories about her in the newspaper from January to March 2006.

And in June of that year he sent an email to Edmondson with the subject "Katona" and a list of "fav no's", with another story appearing days later, the jury was told.

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; former NoW head of news Ian Edmondson, 44, from Raynes Park, south west London; 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.

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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.

All of the accused deny all of the charges.

The trial was adjourned until Monday. 

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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