Gail and Tommy Sheridan are accused of lying during his successful defamation case in 2006 Former politician Tommy Sheridan was secretly recorded discussing allegations about his private life, a court has heard.
George McNeilage, who went to school with Mr Sheridan and was his best man, said he made the tape in November 2004.
Mr McNeilage said he did so because of the way Mr Sheridan had spoken about some “good, good people”.
Mr Sheridan denies lying during his action against the News of the World, which claimed he committed adultery.
He and his wife Gail are on trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Mr McNeilage, 46, told the High Court in Glasgow that Mr Sheridan had called to ask him to meet for a discussion.
Hidden camera
He set up a video camera and hid it among building debris at a house he was renovating. Mobile phone records indicated the meeting took place on 18 November 2004.
Mr McNeilage said he had not felt as if he was betraying Mr Sheridan but that he had felt nervous.
He had decided to make the recording because of “events” and the way Mr Sheridan had previously spoken to him about “people I knew were good, good people”.
No-one had asked him to film Mr Sheridan, Mr McNeilage told the court, but he had said in the media that he had been asked to do so, “probably to sound a bit better”.
Mr Sheridan won £200,000 damages in 2006 after the newspaper printed the allegations about his private life.
The perjury trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.
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