Chris Jefferies arrives at the Leveson inquiry to give evidence
Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PAChris Jefferies, who was the landlord of murdered Bristol landscape architect Joanna Yeates, has been described being "vilified" by the media following his arrest in connection with the crime.
Jefferies, who was later released without charge, told the Leveson inquiry today that he was forced to live "effectively under house arrest" after his release as he was pursued my reporters and photographers.
He told the court that he was subject to a "witch hunt", and forced to live "like a recusant priest during the Reformation, going from safe house to safe house".
He added that the efforts of some parts of the press to contact people who knew him "was extraordinary and worthy of private detectives".
Following the release of the landlord and former English teacher, the attorney general, Dominic Grieve, successfully brought contempt proceedings against the Sun and the Mirror over several of their stories.
Jefferies subsequently sued eight newspapers – the Sun, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Star, Daily Express, Daily Record, and the Scotsman – winning substantial libel damages and a public apology from all.
Such was the media interest in Jefferies, he was advised by his lawyer not to leave the house following his release. He told the court today that he did so to avoid bringing the attention of the media to friends with whom he was staying, who had young children.
He was also advised to change his appearance, he said, "to avoid being recognised and potentially harassed by the media", and appeared at the inquiry today with much shorter, died hair.
Jefferies was challenged by a core participant, via the inquiry counsel Robert Jay QC, about whether he may have entered negotiations to sell his story to any newspapers.
During Jefferies' appearance, former News of the World head of features Jules Stenson said that the former teacher had "wanted [£60,000] from the News of the World to tell his story".
Jefferies told the court that he had employed an agent to field the many requests he received for interviews, and instructed the agent to act on his behalf in responding to requests and seeking out opportunities.
He also read from a letter he sent to the Press Complaints Commission, in which he claimed that a culture of illegal and unethical behaviour by the press was "in part attributable" to the regulatory body, which he said did not have sufficient power to discourage news organisations from the practices.
He called on the PCC to make a statement siding against the "flagrant lawlessness" displayed by some of the newspapers covering his arrest, but said that he did not receive any response from the commission.
A PCC spokesman said today: "We contacted [Jefferies] on a number of occasions, including the letter requesting his comments to which he has referred.
"We are still considering all of the circumstances of his case, with a view to making use of it for the purposes of reform.
"The PCC proactively made itself available to Mr Jefferies, including after the end of the libel trial. We are actively considering the points he has made to us."
The inquiry continues today with evidence from singer Charlotte Church.
Tomorrow it will hear from Guardian reporter Nick Davies, former News of the World deputy features editor Paul McMullan and former Daily Star reporter Richard Peppiatt.
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