In spite of his proximity to sophisticated media operators, Dick came across as far from astute about the degree of ethics which was apt when engaging informally with journalists. Nor did he appear as well briefed on how to cope with the impending cross examination at Leveson as Yates or Hayman.
He struggled not to squirm over his son gaining a job at MPS (having previously been employed by News International at the Sun). But was thoroughly banjaxed by questions over his awarding a £1k a day contract to NOTW's Deputy Editor, Neil Wallis, throughout reports of phone hacking by that paper and an investigation by his own force into those charges.
He also had Friday meetings with NI journalists about stories, allowed one, Lucy Paton, to use an office computer to file a story.
Judge Brian Leveson's regular interjections on the critical issue of "reputational risk" became increasingly exasperated as the court's mind moved to the obvious conclusion the Wallis contract was "set up to get a result." Dick's furtive looks gauging Brian's reactions to his answers betrayed someone uncertain of their own evidence.
For all of Dick's attempts to portray this 'glad handing' as normal business he couldn't convince the court he was playing a straight bat. The tendering process included Wallis as a one man band and the huge PR firm, Bell Pottinger - hardly an equivalent outfit.
Leveson had to remind him his role was also to advise senior officers if their actions risked being perceived as acting in the interests of News International editors. At times his only defence was his amateurism. He appeared as the epitome of the 'old boy's network'. He hosted the meeting with DSI Dave Cook and Rebekah Wade in 2003 but claimed his memory was clouded by newspaper reports he had since read. Eh? His testimony showed he sat on his hands unwilling to moderate the unjustifiable behaviour of the NOTW intruding into the private life of one his fellow officers. For someone whose role was to network and intervene with the media, he appeared throughly passive, lacking curiosity and only waiting to be asked before lifting a finger.
His most oft use phrase was "what I know now." He repeatedly implied that the ensuing time meant his poor judgement at the time could be excused. After so many, too many, years of experience in that post one would have expected his judgement.to have become more acute. The questioning suggested it was swayed by complicity.
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