Phone-hacking jury told to ignore social media reactions to Christmas card
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Version 0 of 1. The jury in the hacking trial has been instructed to ignore "deeply prejudicial" social media reaction to a Christmas card sent out by the Labour MP Nick Brown featuring pictures of David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks. The nine men and three women on the jury were shown the Christmas card on a tablet by counsel for Brooks, who pointed out that Brown was a former Labour party chief whip. Justice Saunders told the jury they should "take no notice whatsoever" of social media posts about it, pointing out that sometimes posts were published by "people who ought to know better". After brief legal discussion that delayed the resumption of the trial on Friday afternoon, Saunders sought to explain the situation to the jurors. "It has been brought to my attention there are things on [social media] which are deeply prejudicial to Mrs Brooks. We are saying it because you may come across it or can't avoid coming across it. "I am sure you understand that you should ignore them and take absolutely no notice of them whatsoever." The judge – who is presiding over the case involving seven defendants including Brooks and her husband Charlie Brooks – warned the jury: "You should try this case on the evidence alone", adding: "Things are sometimes done, and by people who ought to know better." He explained that what Jonathan Laidlaw, QC, for Brooks was showing them on his iPad was a "Christmas card from a Labour MP". He added: "It may be he [Brown] never intended this to get out into public consumption but it's got there and that's how it happened. "The important thing is you simply ignore things like that." Before the trial started, solicitor general Oliver Heald wrote to the three main parties and the speakers of the Commons, calling on them to refrain from any comment on the case. Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |