James Murdoch was told about the “For Neville” email which indicated hacking went beyond a rogue reporter, two former News of the World executives claimed yesterday.
During a previous parliamentary hearing into the phone hacking scandal the News Corp boss claimed he had agreed to settle the Gordon Taylor case with no knowledge of the “For Neville” email which suggested NoW's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck might also be involved in hacking.
The email contained a transcript of voicemail messages hacked from the chief executive of the PFA, the footballers' union Gordon Taylor’s mobile phone.
Crucially the email was evidence that NoTW’s phone hacking practices went beyond “rogue reporter” Clive Goodman the reporter jailed for hacking into phones of the royal household in 2007.
''It was the reason we settled the case, and in order to settle the case we had to explain it to Mr Murdoch and get the authorisation to settle,'' Former News of the World legal manager Tom Crone told the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee llast night.
''It was explained to him that this document had emerged and what it meant.''
"It was clear evidence that phone-hacking was taking place beyond Clive Goodman," Crone added. "It was the reason that we had to settle the case. And in order to settle the case we had to explain the case to Mr Murdoch and get his authority to settle."
"So certainly it would certainly have been discussed. I cannot remember the detail of the conversation. And there isn't a note of it. The conversation lasted for quite a short period, I would think probably less than 15 minutes or about 15 minutes. It was discussed. But exactly what was said I cannot recall."
However Crone insisted that there was no "cover-up" at the company.
The paper's former editor Colin Myler also told MPs the email was discussed.
After this latest revelation James Murdoch is expected to be recalled to the committe to answer further questions.
