Undercover journalist Mazher Mahmood
plotted to change a witness statement in a case against pop singer
Tulisa Contostavlos, the Old Bailey has heard.
The reporter known
as the Fake Sheikh and his driver Alan Smith both deny conspiring
together, intending to pervert the course of justice.Miss Contostavlos had been accused of supplying cocaine but the case against her collapsed in 2014.
Prosecutors said Mr Mahmood had had a "vested interest" in her prosecution.
The court heard that Miss Contostavlos had been targeted by the self-styled "king of the sting", who posed as an influential film producer who wanted the singer to star in a Hollywood blockbuster.
Opening the trial against Mr Mahmood and Mr Smith, Sarah Forshaw QC told the jury: "In effect, the hearing in June 2014 put Mr Mahmood and his journalistic process on trial.
"He liked to call himself the king of sting, he boasted in a book he had written of the number of convictions that he personally was responsible for.
"He knew that if it could be shown that he had acted improperly as an agent provocateur, inducing Miss Contostavlos to do something she would not otherwise do, his own credibility and standing and the prospect of conviction in the case might both be severely damaged."
Miss Forshaw added: "Miss Contostavlos had expressed her disapproval of hard drugs to his own driver, that was the bit of the statement that was altered.
"Mr Smith had told the police officer making the statement that he remembered that while driving Miss Contostavlos... that she had spoken about someone in her family being dependent on cocaine."
'Texts and calls'
Mr Smith had told a police officer she seemed really negative about cocaine but, a day later, he told police he wanted to retract that part of his statement, the court heard.It is alleged that in the intervening 24 hours Mr Smith had sent a copy of his interview to Mr Mahmood and they had exchanged a number of texts and calls.
X Factor judge
The singer had allegedly arranged for Mr Mahmood to be sold half an ounce of cocaine by one of her contacts for £800.The former N-Dubz star and X Factor judge was later arrested and charged with being concerned in the supply of a class A drug, after Mr Mahmood handed evidence to police.
Mr Mahmood, 53, of Purley, south London, and Mr Smith, 67, from Dereham, Norfolk, are accused of arranging to alter a written statement the latter had made to police because it was favourable to Miss Contostavlos's defence.
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