Prince William's wife Kate on hacker's target list, trial hears

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AFP/AFP/File - Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, prepares to meet staff and volunteers from the Royal British Legion’s London Poppy Day Appeal at Kensington Palace in central London on November 7, …more 

Prince William's wife Catherine featured on a list of targets drawn up by a British phone-hacker employed by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct tabloid the News of the World, a trial heard.

Prosecutors said Tuesday the Duchess of Cambridge and London Mayor Boris Johnson were among 18 names on a handwritten page titled "Target Evaluation" that was found at private investigator Glenn Mulcaire's home when he was arrested in 2006.

Mulcaire was jailed for phone hacking in 2007, and pleaded guilty to a further offence of hacking ahead of the high-profile trial at London's Old Bailey.

Eight defendants are on trial in the case, including former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooksand Andy Coulson. They all deny the charges, which arise from the scandal that shut the News of the World in July 2011.

The trial, which began late last month, had already heard that News of the World journalists listened to mobile phone voicemails left by second-in-line to the throne Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry.

The jury also heard details on Tuesday of the paper's pursuit of England and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney over allegations about the player having sex with a prostitute.

Liverpool massage parlour receptionist Patricia Tierney, about whom several newspapers published untrue claims that she had had sex with Rooney, said she had warned him to leave to avoid damage to his career.

"I do recall Wayne Rooney visiting with a number of other males," she said in a statement read to the court.

"Several days later he came on his own. This time I pushed him into a room and told him to pull his hat down and get out before he was destroyed and his career was over."

Notes made by Mulcaire showed that he was investigating Rooney at the time and that the striker's password for his mobile phone voicemail was Stella Artois.

Mulcaire also investigated Hollywood star Angelina Jolie's British stunt double after Jolie began a relationship with Brad Pitt, the court heard.

The trial is expected to last several months.