By Martin Robinson Hacker: Glenn Mulcaire said today that he believed he had the 'blessing of police' when he intercepted voicemails from Milly Dowler's phone Hacker Glenn Mulcaire believed he had 'the blessing of the police' to legally hack the voicemails of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler, the Old Bailey heard today. Mulcaire, who was paid £100,000-a-year by the News of the World, says he believed the tabloid was trying to find the 13-year-old using her mobile and PIN number given out by Surrey detectives. Arguing why he should not be jailed when he is sentenced along with Andy Coulson and three others on Friday, Mulcaire thought he was the police's 'lead eye' and did not believe hacking voicemails was illegal.
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£100,000-a-year hacker said police gave NotW schoolgirl's number and pin
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'He was led to believe his work had the blessing of the police', his QC said
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Mulcaire in court with Andy Coulson and four NotW staff guilty of hacking
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Coulson 'utterly corrupted' tabloid with the help of senior staff, court told
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Former No. 10 spin doctor also faces retrial with royal editor Clive Goodman
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Accused of paying corrupt police for two phone books from royal household
Over the years, @placeholder had been paid around half a million pounds by the NotW to hack phones at the request of the newsdesk executives, the court heard.