Stars' detective takes on defence

Mr Pellicano claims he has no money to pay his former solicitor

US celebrity private eye Anthony Pellicano has been given permission by a US judge to defend himself in court against accusations of wire-tapping.

Prosecutors say Mr Pellicano breached the privacy of Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Keith Carradine to make threats and blackmail people.

The 62-year-old's former solicitor, Steven Gruel, claims Mr Pellicano has failed to pay him.

Mr Pellicano, who denies the charges, maintains he has no money.

He is accused of bugging phones and bribing police officers to do background checks on 60 people.

Speedy trial

Following a police investigation dating back to 2002, 14 people have been charged, with seven pleading guilty to charges including wire fraud and conspiracy.

One person has been acquitted but has since had new charges filed against her.

In April last year, Die Hard director John McTiernan was charged with lying to the FBI during the investigation.

In November US District Court Judge Dale Fischer pushed back the trial to 22 August because of a lengthy discovery process.

Mr Pellicano opposed the joint motion by prosecutors and five attorneys representing his co-defendants to delay the case.

In the past he has repeatedly asked for a speedy trial and in October he told the Associated Press news agency that prosecutors had had plenty of time to build a case against him.