News editors and reporters variously accused of plotting with police, armed forces, prison officials and staff at Broadmoor

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Six former and current journalists from the Sun newspaper are going on trial on Monday accused of plotting with public officials in pursuit of exclusive stories over nine years.

The group are variously charged with conspiring to commit misconduct with police officers, members of the armed forces, prison officials and staff at Broadmoor hospital between March 2002 and January 2011.

On a charge sheet containing nine separate counts, news editor Chris Pharo faces a total of six charges of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office while ex-managing editor Graham Dudman and ex-Sun deputy news editor Ben O’Driscoll are accused of four.

Reporter Jamie Pyatt and picture editor John Edwards face three counts each and ex-Sun reporter John Troup is accused of two counts of conspiring to commit the same offence.

They are in the dock at Kingston crown court alongside former Surrey police officer Simon Quinn, who is charged with committing misconduct in a public office by selling information about celebrities as well as high profile criminal investigations between 2000 and 2011.

The charge states that Quinn, 37, of Littlehampton, sold information to the Sun about Mick Hucknall, Chris Tarrant and Dane Bowers as well as details of the Milly Dowler murder hunt and the M25 rapist Tony Imiela case. He denies the charge.

Pharo, 45, of Sandhurst; Pyatt, 51, of Windsor; O’Driscoll, 38, of Windsor; Edwards, 50, of Brentwood; Dudman, 51, of Brentwood; and Troup, 49, of Saffron Walden have denied the charges against them.

A jury is expected to be sworn in on Monday before prosecutor Peter Wright QC opens the case on Tuesday at Kingston Crown Court.

The trial being heard by judge Richard Marks QC could go on until Christmas. The defendants are on bail.