An ex-News of the World (NoTW) reporter from Kilburn, who hacked more than 1,000 voicemails, has been spared jail after testifying against his former editor Andy Coulson.

Dan Evans, 38, of Brondesbury Villas, was given a ten month suspended sentence for a year because of his testimony against Andy Coulson, who is currently serving 18 months in prison after being found guilty of plotting to hack phones while he was in charge of the defunct tabloid newspaper.

He has also admitted conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice

Evans said “even the office cat” knew about hacking at the corrupt tabloid, and backed claims that the practice happened “on a grand scale”.

He told the Old Bailey that Coulson was played a hacked message in the middle of the NoTW newsroom left by actress Sienna Miller for her alleged secret lover Daniel Craig.

Mr Justice Saunders said: “In the circumstances of this case and in particular the co-operation that Mr Evans has given and has agreed to give the police and the prosecution in the future, as compared with the lack of co-operation of other, I do feel able to suspend the sentence.”

Evans, who was poached from the Sunday Mirror by Coulson, was given four month concurrent sentences for phone hacking at both papers, a consecutive four months for corruption, and a further two months for a fourth charge of perverting the course of justice.

The judge, who ordered Evans to complete 200 hours community service, said he took into account his guilty pleas.

He also confessed to paying a prison guard for news of Soham murderer Ian Huntley’s time behind bars, and paying a police officer £750 for news of a police raid on EastEnder’s star Steve McFadden’s home.