'Rebekah Brooks told me how to hack a phone at the Prime Minister's birthday party at Chequers in 2010', friend of David Cameron tells court

Dom Loehnis (pictured) told the Old Bailey he sat next to Rebekah Brooks, a former editor of the News of the World, at a meal at the PM's country residence in October 2010

A close friend of David Cameron claimed Rebekah Brooks told him she knew how to phone hack at a birthday dinner for the Prime Minister at Chequers, a court heard today
Dom Loehnis, who had Mr Cameron as his best man at his wedding and knows him from their days at Eton together, said he sat next to the former News of the World editor at a meal in the PM's country residence in October 2010.
And he told the court that Mrs Brooks said she thought Andy Coulson, Mr Cameron's spin doctor and the former editor of the News of the World, might not survive in his Number 10 job because of the scandal.
Describing the dinner Mr Loehnis told jurors: 'She (Brooks) said at a certain point people had discovered that you could get into mobile phone voicemails by tapping in a distinct code.
'She said there was a default code and nobody changed it.'
Mr Loehnis said he got the impression phone hacking had been going on since the late 1990s ‘when mobile phones became something most people had.'
Andrew Edis QC, prosecuting at the Old Bailey, asked if Brooks said anything about how extensively the practice was used.
Mr Loehnis, a consultant with an international group of headhunters, said: 'No, simply that once people had worked out how to do it, who knew how many people had done it?
'The impression I got was that it was something that once you discovered you can do it, you do it almost because you can,' said Mr Loehnis.
The former Sunday Telegraph journalist said Brooks never gave any indication of whether she thought it was illegal or right or wrong.
'Was there anything about the general attitude among journalists on the subject?' Mr Edis asked. 'No,' the witness replied.
The Old Bailey heard Mr Loenhis was contacted by police when they found a handwritten letter he had sent to Brooks following her resignation as Chief Executive Officer at News International in July 2011.
Jonathan Laidlaw QC, defending Brooks, claimed the ‘two minute' conversation between his client and Mr Loehnis was not an admission that she had been involved in phone hacking but was simply a topical subject at the time.

Accused: Former News of The World editor Rebekah Brooks arrives at the phone hacking trial in London today

The court heard the topic of conversation was Andy Coulson (pictured here arriving at court) who was then director of communications for Cameron

He said: 'It was common knowledge, not just in Fleet Street, that there were weaknesses in telephone security voicemail systems and both of you were acknowledging that it was possible to access voicemails.' 'Yes,' Mr Loehnis answered.
The court heard the topic of conversation arose after Mr Loehnis asked Brooks if she thought her co-accused Andy Coulson - then director of communications for Cameron - would survive the media fallout on phone hacking.
Mr Loenhis said: 'She (Brooks) said she wasn't sure if he would survive it as she felt that the story was not going away.'
Mr Laidlaw told jurors Brooks was ‘relaxed' during the dinner for 60 of David Cameron's family and closest friends.

Close friends: Mr Loehnis met David Cameron, pictured at the British Curry Awards in London on Monday night, at Eton and was best man at his wedding

Scene: Mr Loehnis told the court about a conversation he had with Brooks while at a birthday dinner for the Prime Minister at Chequers (pictured)

He put it to Mr Loehnis: 'She never hid from you her knowledge that it was possible to access voicemails from the late 90s or made more than what was a reflection of common knowledge at the time.
'She certainly did not say or even hint that she had known of phone hacking at the News of The World during her editorship or that she had been involved in the commission of phone hacking.'
'No, she didn't,' the witness replied.
Brooks, 45, denies conspiracy to phone hack, conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, and perverting the course of justice.
Brooks is standing trial alongside her husband Charles Brooks, 50, Andy Coulson, 45, news editor Ian Edmondson, 44, managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73, former royal editor Clive Goodman, 56, News International head of security Mark Hanna, 50, and PA Cheryl Carter, 49.
The trial continues.

On trial: Rebekah Brooks pictured arriving at court with her husband and co-defendant Charlie Brooks

At court: Former NOTW managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73, pictured left, and News International head of security Mark Hanna, pictured right, are also on trial