Coulson may be perjury trial witness

The prime minister's communications chief, Andy Coulson , could be called as a witness in the trial of Scottish politician Tommy Sheridan for perjury. According to the Sunday Herald , Coulson gave a statement to Sheridan's legal team earlier this month. The case dates back to 2004 when Coulson was editor of the News of the World . The paper ran a story claiming that Sheridan had cheated on his wife with a former prostitute. But Sheridan sued the NoW for libel and, in August 2006, he was awarded damages of £200,000, the maximum amount the jury could grant. There were immediate claims that Sheridan and his wife, Gail , had committed perjury during the trial. I was among those who raised questions about the case to the extent that I said the paper was deserving of support. In December 2007, Sheridan was charged with perjury . His wife was similarly charged two months later, as were five other witnesses, including Sheridan's father-in-law. The perjury trial, which begins next Monday, is scheduled to last for 50 days. Source: Sunday Herald Hat tip: AllMediaScotland