Evans 'realised giving evidence could lead to immunity'

Dan Evans accepts that he came to realise that he would get immunity from prosecution if he could give evidence that implicated other journalists.

Taking him through notes that had been made by his solicitor during conversations, Timothy Langdale QC questions his true motivation for making allegations against Andy Coulson, the former editor of News of the World and later spin doctor to David Cameron.

Evans agreed that he realised during discussions between his solicitor and the police that he would need to give evidence against senior journalists at the News of the World to get immunity.

Mr Langdale said that he had effectively asked his solicitor to go to the police and get "a shopping list" of what they would need before they gave him immunity.

Asking him about the occasion when Evans claims he played a hacked voice message from Daniel Craig's phone, he said "I suggest to you that this just isn't true?" To which Evans replied "Yes it is."

Evans admitted that while they were talking about potential evidence that he could give against senior people at the paper, he had mentioned his meeting with Andy Coulson at the Aldwych Hotel.

Evan's lawyer had written in the notes "It was obvious to me that there were no killer lines about screwing phones."

Evans admits that he said to his lawyer "my ultimate goal would be that there is no evidence against me to mount a prosecution," adding that he would rather not have to give evidence against former colleagues saying "if it's not necessary I would rather not do it".