director of public prosecutions alison saunders was forced into a humiliating climbdown after a jury threw out yet another old bailey case .
she abandoned the trials of nine reporters accused of illegally paying public officials for information , finally admitting there was little appetite among the public for journalists who expose matters of public interest to be jailed .
her decision sparked an ugly blame game as the architects of the £ 20million ` politically-motivated witch hunt ' turned against each other .