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10/05/2007
Men jailed for secret memo leak
A civil servant has been jailed for six months for leaking a secret memo about talks between Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush.
David Keogh, 50, from Northampton was found guilty of two offences under the Official Secrets Act at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 of the £35,000 prosecution costs.
MPs researcher Leo O'Connor, 44, was jailed for three months after being found guilty of one offence under the Official Secrets Act.
During the trial, the court heard how Keogh had given O'Connor, who worked as a researcher for anti-war Labour MP Anthony Clarke, the memo in a dining club in Northampton.
The memo related to talks about Iraq between Mr Bush and Mr Blair in 2004. The contents of the memo were deemed so sensitive that much of the trial was held in closed session.
It is understood that Mr O'Connor placed the memo in Mr Clarke's constituency papers, but he discovered the memo and handed it in.
Rex Tedd QC, Keogh's barrister, said that his client had wanted to reveal the truth of what was happening in Iraq and had acted because he was following his conscience.
O'Connor said that he had left the memo for his boss to find and return to the relevant authorities and had never intended to send copies of it to newspapers or other MPs.
Judge Mr Justice Aikens said that Keogh's "reckless and irresponsible" actions could have cost British lives.
(KMcA/JM)
David Keogh, 50, from Northampton was found guilty of two offences under the Official Secrets Act at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 of the £35,000 prosecution costs.
MPs researcher Leo O'Connor, 44, was jailed for three months after being found guilty of one offence under the Official Secrets Act.
During the trial, the court heard how Keogh had given O'Connor, who worked as a researcher for anti-war Labour MP Anthony Clarke, the memo in a dining club in Northampton.
The memo related to talks about Iraq between Mr Bush and Mr Blair in 2004. The contents of the memo were deemed so sensitive that much of the trial was held in closed session.
It is understood that Mr O'Connor placed the memo in Mr Clarke's constituency papers, but he discovered the memo and handed it in.
Rex Tedd QC, Keogh's barrister, said that his client had wanted to reveal the truth of what was happening in Iraq and had acted because he was following his conscience.
O'Connor said that he had left the memo for his boss to find and return to the relevant authorities and had never intended to send copies of it to newspapers or other MPs.
Judge Mr Justice Aikens said that Keogh's "reckless and irresponsible" actions could have cost British lives.
(KMcA/JM)
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09 May 2007
Civil servant found guilty of memo leak
A civil servant and an MP's researcher have been found guilty of leaking a secret memo about talks between Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush. David Keogh, 50, from Northampton, was found guilty of two offences under the Offical Secrets Act, while Leo O'Connor was found guilty of one charge, at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
Civil servant found guilty of memo leak
A civil servant and an MP's researcher have been found guilty of leaking a secret memo about talks between Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush. David Keogh, 50, from Northampton, was found guilty of two offences under the Offical Secrets Act, while Leo O'Connor was found guilty of one charge, at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
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