Clive Goodman (born 17 September 1957, inHammersmith, London) is an English journalist, former royal editor and reporter for theNews of the World. He was arrested in August 2006 and jailed in January 2007 forintercepting mobile phone messages involving members of theroyal household.
Goodman initially worked as a journalist onNigel Dempster's gossip column in theDaily Mail, before joining theNews of the World as royal editor. He was among thetabloid journalists covering the breakdown of the marriage ofDiana, Princess of Wales andPrince Charles, and at the time held theNews of the World record for number of consecutive front page splashes, with five.[1]
In March 2005, Goodman took overMark Bolland's "Blackadder" column, reporting on details and rumours of the lives of public figures. It was during his tenure on this column that two entries raised suspicions with Royal Household staff that Goodman hadgained access to the Royal Family's voicemails.[1]
On 26 January 2007, Goodman was imprisoned for four months, having pleaded guilty to illegally intercepting phone messages fromClarence House; his co-conspiratorGlenn Mulcaire was sentenced to six months.[2] Goodman was sacked by theNews of the World in January 2007, but within a year he received £240,000 in settlements, fromNews International.[3] According to News International, the payments were made because his dismissal was unfair as they had failed to "follow statutory procedures" in sacking Goodman.[4]
Goodman was arrested again, along withAndy Coulson, on 8 July 2011 after new revelations of the phone hacking were made public. It was announced that theNews of the World would end its 168-year publication history on 10 July 2011.[5]
Goodman wason trial in 2013–14 along with Coulson,Rebekah Brooks and a number of other formerNews of the World reporters and executives.[6] The jury was unable to reach verdicts on two charges of conspiring to cause misconduct in public office in relation to the alleged purchase of confidential royal phone directories in 2005 from a palace police officer.[7] On 30 June 2014 the trial judge,Mr Justice Saunders, announced that Goodman and the News of the Word's former editor, Andy Coulson, would face a retrial on the outstanding charges.[8] On 17 April 2015, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Goodman's retrial was to be scrapped, along with that of Coulson and the trials of seven other journalists.[9] On 18 April 2015 Goodman was found formally not guilty of all charges at the Central Criminal Court.[citation needed]
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