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  1. Media Law
June 15, 2015

Sun pair facing trial at Kingston over payments have three charges against them dropped

By Dominic Ponsford

Three charges facing two Sun journalists prosecuted under Operation Elveden have been dropped.

Sun head of news Chris Pharo, 45, and Thames Valley reporter Jamie Pyatt (pictured) are facing trial at Kingston Crown Court.

They are the only outstanding prosecutions of journalists under the long-running police investigation into payments to public officials.

Pharo has been cleared of authorising payments to a Chelsea police officer, a Broadmoor orderly, and a prison guard for stories.

Pyatt has been cleared of paying the Broadmoor worker for stories between 2007 and 2010.

The prosecution said it would not be offering any evidence on these charges.

But both men still face a retrial on a single count of aiding and abetting misconduct in public office for paying a police officer for stories between 2000 and 2011.

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On Friday, Pharo and Pyatt plead not guilty to the remaining charge against them.

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