The News of the World journalist who broke the story that brought
about the eventual downfall of Jeffrey Archer has died aged 59.
Eddie
Jones and his investigative team broke the story in 1986 that cost
Archer his job as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
After
discovering the relationship between Archer and prostitute Monica
Coughlin, the NoW photographed an Archer aide giving the woman £2,000
in a brown envelope.
The “Tory boss Archer pays off vice girl”
story was followed up in the Daily Star, which took it further and
alleged that Archer had slept with Coughlin.
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This in turn led to Archer suing the Star for libel and winning £500,000.
The
peer was eventually jailed after the NoW revealed in 1999 that Archer’s
friend Ted Francis had provided a false alibi for him in the 1987 libel
trial.
Jones left the NoW in 1988 and spent many years
freelancing as an investigative reporter. He had been unwell since an
accident last Christmas, but was recovering when he suffered a heart
attack on Monday. He leaves two sons and a daughter.
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