Rebekah Brooks a nightmare to work for - Sun journalist

Chris Pharo told jurors he had never heard of the police officer at the centre of the case

Former Sun editor Rebekah Brooks was a "nightmare" to work for and sent strings of "abusive emails" to staff over stories, the Old Bailey has heard.

Former head of news Chris Pharo, 46, said fury over missing out to rival paper the News of the World would drive Mrs Brooks to "explode".

He recalled a time when she slammed a door so hard the handle broke.

Mr Pharo and former Sun reporter Jamie Pyatt, 52, both deny paying a Surrey police officer for stories.

They are accused of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office - prosecutors say the officer, who cannot be named, was paid about £10,000 over 10 years.

'Sulk for days'

Giving evidence in his defence, Mr Pharo told jurors about the culture at the Sun after Mrs Brooks - then Wade - was appointed editor in 2003 and Andy Coulson replaced her at the News of the World.

He said Mrs Brooks was "possibly the most charming person I have ever met" - once talking him out of leaving the paper - but added: "She could often be fine but more often than not she was nothing short of a nightmare.

"You would frequently receive up to 20 abusive emails starting around 7.30am when she got the paper delivered to her home. They would continue through the day.

"Occasionally there would be an explosion in conference and she could sulk for days over a missed story."

Jamie Pyatt was working as a district reporter when the offences are alleged to have taken place

Mr Pharo recalled one occasion when he admitted in morning conference that he had a "terrible news list".

"She stormed out of the room. It was a glass-walled newsroom and she slammed the door so hard that she broke the door handle and her PA had to let us out of the conference room."

Single source

He said he returned to his desk, "hugely embarrassed and terrified", only to find Mrs Brooks had sent out a message to the entire staff, saying "Have any of you got a story, because my idiot news editor cannot find any?"

Mr Pharo told jurors he had never heard of the police officer referred to as 2044, and when he received emails from Mr Pyatt he had no idea that he was referring to one officer as the source for all the stories.

He was asked by defence lawyer Nigel Rumfitt QC whether he intended "to encourage the source of any particular story to provide further stories by misconducting himself as a police officer".

Mr Pharo replied: "No, I did not."

Mr Pyatt, from Windsor in Berkshire, was working as a district reporter when the offences are alleged to have taken place between 2002 and 2011.

Mr Pharo, from Sandhurst in Kent, was the Sun's head of news and Mr Pyatt's boss between 2007 and 2011.

The trial continues.