Blunkett’s voicemails played to hacking trial jury

The Old Bailey was played recordings from the autumn of 2005 in which the politician said he hoped whoever had leaked information would “rot in hell”.

In one message left on his friend Sally Anderson’s phone, he said: “Someone very, very close has done a really phenomenal piece of work on destroying both our lives at this moment in time and it’s vile. Whoever it is I hope they rot in hell.”

The jury were played a series of messages seized from the home of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, in which Mr Blunkett repeatedly says the media storm over the false affair claims is “vile”.

He said: “I don’t know who’s done this to us but they’re real b******s, they’ve done it for money and they’ve done it for themselves and the world stinks.”

It is claimed that the messages were illegally accessed on behalf of journalists at the now-closed News of the World (NotW).

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, 45, of Churchill, Oxfordshire; ex-spin doctor Andy Coulson, also 45, from Charing in Kent; former NotW 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 October 2000 and August 2006.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC read statements that the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP made to police, saying his messages were “intended for Sally Anderson and for her alone”.

Mr Blunkett successfully sued the People over an article it ran incorrectly claiming that the pair had a sexual relationship and that he had made her pregnant.

The court heard from Mr Blunkett’s former special adviser, Huw Evans, who described a conversation he had with Coulson over a story in 2004 about the politician’s affair with former Spectator publisher Kimberly Quinn.

Mr Evans said he was “puzzled” at how Coulson could be so certain that the affair story was true, because a photograph of Ms Quinn and Mr Blunkett together proved nothing.

He said: “I remember the tone of his voice... it was flat, unequivocal that he was absolutely certain that the story was true and he was going to run it. I remember at that time remaining puzzled as to why he could be so certain.”

The jury heard that Mr Evans believed 13 people would have known about the affair.

Mr Blunkett and Ms Quinn had been on holiday abroad together in 2003 and 2004, and attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2003.

In a police statement, Mr Evans said: “I always thought that it was a matter of time before someone worked it out.”

The trial continues.