FORMER home secretary David Blunkett had voicemails he left for his lover hacked by the News of the World, a jury has heard.
The Old Bailey was told that recordings of messages Mr Blunkett left for Kimberly Quinn of The Spectator magazine, with whom he had a three-year affair, were later recovered from a safe in the office of News International lawyer Tom Crone.
The court heard that a cache of 330 messages to Ms Quinn from Mr Blunkett and associates were found by police.
Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC told the court that in the drafts of the exclusive story written by NotW chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, the couple were referred to by codenames Noddy (Mr Blunkett) and Big Ears (Ms Quinn).
Thurlbeck communicated 11 times with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in the lead-up to the story; and Mulcaire invoiced the newspaper £750 for his work on the story. Both men have already admitted to hacking phones.
Giving evidence, Detective Constable Tim Hargreaves said that the messages were "deeply personal" and "intrusive", with one ending: "You are breaking my heart."
In another, the Secretary of State said he was going to a party with Rebekah Wade (now Brooks) for her then husband Ross Kemp's 40th birthday party.
Tapes of voicemails relating to Mr Blunkett were also found at Mulcaire's home, together with his address, phone number and details of relatives.
On August 11, 2004 there was contact between then News of the World editor Andy Coulson and Thurlbeck, and between Thurlbeck and Mrs Brooks, who by that time had become editor of The Sun, the court heard.
The jury was also played a recording of Mr Coulson urging Mr Blunkett to come clean about the relationship two days later. Mr Coulson also said the story would be a "one-week wonder" if Mr Blunkett confessed.
Mr Coulson, 45, from Charing in Kent, and Mrs Brooks, also 45, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, deny conspiring with others to hack phones between October 3, 2000 and August 9, 2006
The trial was adjourned until Monday morning.
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