Andy Coulson to ‘vigorously contest’ perjury claims

Andy Coulson will “vigorously contest” perjury allegations against him if they are ever brought to trial, a lawyer for David Cameron’s former communications chief said.

Coulson was charged by Strathclyde Police on Wednesday night over allegations that he committed perjury during the trial of former MSP Tommy Sheridan.

A report is to be sent to the procurator fiscal which will decide if the 44-year-old ex-News of the World editor will face court proceedings.

In a statement today, his solicitor Jo Rickards of law firm DLA Piper said: “Andy Coulson will vigorously contest the perjury allegations made against him yesterday by Strathclyde Police, should they ever result in a trial.”

Coulson was detained at his London home early on Wednesday morning and taken to Glasgow for six hours of questioning at Govan police station. Police then announced that he had been arrested and charged with perjury.

No date has been set for any court appearance.

Coulson gave evidence at Sheridan’s perjury trial at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2010, while he was employed by 10 Downing Street as director of communications.

At the trial, he claimed he had no knowledge of illegal activities by reporters during the time that he was editor of the now-defunct newspaper.

He said: “I don’t accept there was a culture of phone hacking at the News of the World.”

Coulson was arrested last year in relation to Scotland Yard’s long-running investigation into phone hacking at the paper.

He was held in July on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and corruption, and had his bail extended earlier this month.