Sky News admits John Darwin email hack

BBC News, 5 April 2012 

After his 'canoe death' stunt, Darwin
allowed his sons to think their father
was dead

Sky News has said it illegally hacked emails belonging to members of the public on two separate occasions.

The broadcaster said it hacked emails belonging to John Darwin - who faked his own death in a canoe - and his wife Anne.

It also revealed it accessed the email accounts of a suspected paedophile and his wife.

Sky News said the action was in the public interest and amounted to "responsible journalism".

It released a statement which said: "Sky News is committed to the highest editorial standards.

"Like other news organisations, we are acutely aware of the tensions that can arise between the law and responsible investigative journalism.

"We stand by these actions as editorially justified and in the public interest."

The statement went on: "We do not take such decisions lightly or frequently.

"They require finely balanced judgement based on individual circumstances and must always be subjected to the proper editorial controls."

John Darwin was reported missing in a canoe in the North Sea in March 2002.

His wife Anne collected more than £500,000 in life insurance payouts while he hid in their marital home, allowing their two sons to think he was dead.

The pair were found guilty of the deception in 2008.

'Extremely sensitive'

Sky News said that after accessing their emails, it supplied material to Cleveland police which was "pivotal" to the court case.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "Cleveland Police has conducted an initial review into these matters and can confirm that enquiries are ongoing into how the emails were obtained."

It is illegal to hack into emails under the Computer Misuse Act.

BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Matt Prodger said: "It's extremely sensitive, because Sky News is a subsidiary of BSkyB, which is currently under investigation by Ofcom to see whether it is fit and proper to continue holding a broadcasting licence.

"So it is a real blow to yet another part of the Murdoch empire."

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