A former News of the World reporter said he lied when he was caught trying to hack a phone as he was "just toeing the line", the Old Bailey has heard.
Dan Evans, who was caught trying to hack into designer Kelly Hoppen's phone, said he "bitterly regretted not taking a braver course of action".
Evans, who has admitted hacking, said ex-editor Andy Coulson had direct knowledge of what he was doing in 2005.
Mr Coulson denies all charges including conspiracy to hack phones.
Under questioning from Mr Coulson's lawyer, Timothy Langdale QC, Evans reflected on his change of approach, saying: "I appear to be open, honest and truthful."
'Sticky keys'Evans was arrested in August 2011 and produced a prepared statement for police.
He told the court that statement was "cobblers" and he had just been "maintaining the lie", claiming "the sticky keys defence" - that Ms Hoppen's phone may have been hacked accidentally because Evans had damaged keys on his mobile phone.
He also admitted he had lodged papers as part of Ms Hoppen's civil claim against the NoW which repeated the lie and resulted in prosecution for perverting the course of justice.
Evans said: "That was entirely my decision.
"I was caught between the tabloid world, caught between very expensive lawyers... I'm very sorry for lying about that."
However, Evans then changed his story, admitted phone hacking and became a witness for the prosecution.
He was asked why he had later said to investigators that "every journalist was mucking around with phone tapping?"
Evans told the jury: "I'm saying most reporters at that time had access to inquiry agents and were able to get people's phone records and medical records, not just at the News of the World but at other tabloid newspapers at that time."
Mr Langdale said: "Boiling it down to essentials you wouldn't really be a candidate for immunity unless you spoke about others (phone hacking)." Evans agreed.
He was asked why he claimed phone hacking was discussed at daily editorial meetings at which he had not been present.
Evans said he was told by someone who had been in a particular meeting.
"As far as I was concerned it was so widely known, and so extensively, there was a very wide conspiracy within the organisation," he said.
Mr Langdale later said: "You are prone to making sweeping assertions which are not based on fact."
Evans replied: "That is incorrect sir - though I understand why you may want people to believe that."
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