Brooks to face trial over hacking scandal

UK Political Editor

Wednesday 25 July 2012

REBEKAH Brooks, the former News International chief executive, yesterday said she was distressed and angry at the decision to charge her over the phone hacking scandal and insisted she would vigorously fight the allegations.

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MICHAEL SETTLE UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Brooks, 44, will face trial alongside Andy Coulson, former News of the World editor and David Cameron's ex-press chief, and five other people who worked on the defunct tabloid, as well as private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

Mr Coulson also said he was extremely disappointed after his name was included on the list of those who will be charged, which was read out yesterday by Alison Levitt, QC, legal adviser to the Crown Prosecution Service. Mrs Brooks, who edited The Sun and the News of the World, promptly issued a statement, denying the allegations against her and insisting she would fight to clear her name. She added: "I am not guilty of these charges. I did not authorise nor was I aware of phone hacking under my editorship. "I am distressed and angry that the CPS have reached this decision when they knew all the facts and were in a position to stop the case at this stage." Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson both face charges relating to allegedly accessing the voicemails of Milly Dowler, the schoolgirl who was murdered in 2002. Mrs Brooks said: "The charge concerning Milly Dowler is particularly upsetting, not only as it is untrue but because I have spent my career campaigning for victims of crime." Mr Coulson said: "I will fight these allegations when they eventually get to court. "Anyone who knows me, or who worked with me, would know that I wouldn't, and more importantly that I didn't, do anything to damage the Milly Dowler investigation. "At the News of the World we worked on behalf of the victims of crime, particularly violent crime, and the idea that I would sit in my office dreaming up schemes to undermine investigations is simply untrue." In May, Mrs Brooks was charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice over allegations she tried to conceal evidence from detectives investigating phone hacking and alleged bribes to public officials. She, Mr Coulson and the six others will be charged in the coming days. They are likely to appear before Westminster magistrates in the next few weeks with trials taking place some time next year. Apart from ex-private investigator Mulcaire, they face one general allegation of phone hacking between October 2000 and August 2006, which, it is claimed, targeted more than 600 people. Conspiring to intercept communications without lawful authority carries a sentence of up to two years in prison or a fine. Alleged victims named by the CPS included the celebrity chef Delia Smith, footballer Wayne Rooney, Holywood actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and politicians David Blunkett, Charles Clarke and Lord Prescott. Mrs Brooks faces two additional charges relating to allegedly accessing the voicemails of Milly Dowler and former Fire Brigades Union boss Andrew Gilchrist. The others facing charges are: ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner; former news editor Greg Miskiw; former head of news Ian Edmondson; former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former reporter James Weatherup. Police have asked the CPS to defer a decision on two remaining suspects while they make further inquiries. Ms Levitt said no further action would be taken in relation to three others. Mr Coulson also faces a charge of perjury in relation to the trial of ex-Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan at the High Court in Glasgow in 2010. For legal reasons, it is not possible for readers to comment on this story.

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Brooks to face trial over hacking scandal

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