UK journalist pleads guilty to phone hacking

UK journalist pleads guilty to phone hacking
Updated on

Summary Graham Johnson admitted guilt Thursday and will be sentenced Nov. 27.

LONDON (AP) - A former journalist with British tabloid the Sunday Mirror has pleaded guilty to hacking into voicemails in pursuit of an exclusive story.

The 46-year-old had turned himself in to police after learning of the arrest of colleagues on similar charges.

Johnson said he was taught how to hack into voicemails by a supervisor and had used the technique in 2001 while investigating a possible affair between a soap opera actress and a gangster. He told the court he didn t know the hacking was illegal when he did it.

District Judge Quentin Purdy praised Johnson for confessing his crime.

Britain s long-running phone hacking scandal has led to the closure of the News of the World tabloid and numerous arrests.
 

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