Sean Hoare, the former News of the World correspondent who was the first member of Andy Coulson’s staff to claim the editor knew of phone hacking by his reporters, was found dead in his home Monday. He previously had told the BBC that Coulson’s claim to the contrary was “simply a lie,” and that he was personally asked to tap telephones.

The police do not suspect foul play in Hoare’s death. News of it came the same day that John Yates, the assistant commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, announced his resignation from the force. Yates is facing criticism for neglecting a pile of evidence related to the hacking case. He is the second London police leader to quit in two days.–ARK

The Guardian:

The death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious. Police investigations into this incident are ongoing.”

… He told the newspaper that not only did Coulson know of the phone hacking, but that he actively encouraged his staff to intercept the phone calls of celebrities in the pursuit of exclusives.

In a subsequent interview with the BBC he alleged that he was personally asked by his then-editor, Coulson, to tap into phones. In an interview with the PM programme he said Coulson’s insistence that he didn’t know about the practice was “a lie, it is simply a lie”.

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