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| Brooks denies all knowledge of the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone | Brooks denies all knowledge of the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Rebekah Brooks has denied all knowledge of the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone and told police she found the act "abhorrent", a court heard on Thursday. | |
| Brooks, the former News of the World editor, told police in an interview in July 2011 that she had never met Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator who worked for the paper and has already pleaded guilty to hacking the murdered girl's phone, or had knowledge of his activities. | |
| "Like everyone I felt this act abhorrent and I and the company have rightly apologised to the family. I have no knowledge of this interception that took place. I have never met or spoken to Mulcaire. I have no knowledge of Mulcaire or his activities," she told police, in the first of four police interviews which took place two days after she resigned as chief executive of the NoW publisher News International. | |
| While she was being interviewed, police showed her an article that they said was linked to phone hacking but Brooks said it was published on 14 April 2002, when she was on holiday. | |
| "Earlier today I was asked about phone hacking. As I've said before I was appalled by the allegation that someone on behalf of the NoW or a professional journalist would attempt to access the voicemail of Milly Dowler," she told police. | "Earlier today I was asked about phone hacking. As I've said before I was appalled by the allegation that someone on behalf of the NoW or a professional journalist would attempt to access the voicemail of Milly Dowler," she told police. |
| In the same interview she said it was "well known that after introduction of voicemails to mobile phones" that there was "a flaw in that there was a generic factory setting pin code to access your messages". | In the same interview she said it was "well known that after introduction of voicemails to mobile phones" that there was "a flaw in that there was a generic factory setting pin code to access your messages". |
| For this reason she had changed the pin number on her own phone. "It was for that reason that my voicemail was protected with a secure pin code." | For this reason she had changed the pin number on her own phone. "It was for that reason that my voicemail was protected with a secure pin code." |
| Brooks told police she was first made aware of phone hacking being used to get stories for the NoW in 2006 at the time of the investigation into Mulcaire and the paper's former royal editor Clive Goodman, both of whom were jailed for phone-hacking related offences in 2007. | |
| "I was shocked and I understood from the police that between 90 and 100 telephones had been intercepted and, until earlier this year [2011], I continued to believe then that that was the case," she said. "I was also told at the time that I myself was a victim of Mulcaire, which was a matter of considerable concern." | "I was shocked and I understood from the police that between 90 and 100 telephones had been intercepted and, until earlier this year [2011], I continued to believe then that that was the case," she said. "I was also told at the time that I myself was a victim of Mulcaire, which was a matter of considerable concern." |
| Brooks also told police that she could not prepare to answer questions because she was told on the request of the Metropolitan police to leave her News International office within 15 minutes of her resignation in July 2011. | Brooks also told police that she could not prepare to answer questions because she was told on the request of the Metropolitan police to leave her News International office within 15 minutes of her resignation in July 2011. |
| The office was searched and sealed and her iPad, laptop and computer confiscated and her email account disabled. "I was forced to leave behind all my files and records," she said. | The office was searched and sealed and her iPad, laptop and computer confiscated and her email account disabled. "I was forced to leave behind all my files and records," she said. |
| She said the events leading up to arrest had "an enormous and detrimental impact" on her life and that she had, at the time, to make "decisions which were of critical importance" to the future of News International "whilst being the subject of intense media scrutiny and hysterical publicity from our competitors". | She said the events leading up to arrest had "an enormous and detrimental impact" on her life and that she had, at the time, to make "decisions which were of critical importance" to the future of News International "whilst being the subject of intense media scrutiny and hysterical publicity from our competitors". |
| In a fourth interview on 21 March 2012, Brooks categorically denied she was "involved in a conspiracy to make corrupt payments to the serving member of the armed forces, or the employee of the [Ministry of Defence]". | In a fourth interview on 21 March 2012, Brooks categorically denied she was "involved in a conspiracy to make corrupt payments to the serving member of the armed forces, or the employee of the [Ministry of Defence]". |
| She was accused of authorising payments to these public officials after police were handed emails by News International's management and standards committee from a journalist on the Sun requesting payment for an "ace military contact" or a "number one military contact". | She was accused of authorising payments to these public officials after police were handed emails by News International's management and standards committee from a journalist on the Sun requesting payment for an "ace military contact" or a "number one military contact". |
| Brooks said the journalist never named his contact in his emails, which was "entirely consistent with industry practice, in that the identity of confidential sources is rarely if ever revealed by journalists". | Brooks said the journalist never named his contact in his emails, which was "entirely consistent with industry practice, in that the identity of confidential sources is rarely if ever revealed by journalists". |
| She was asked by police to review the stories referred to in the journalist's emails requesting payment approval and told them she believed the stories were published "in the public interest". | She was asked by police to review the stories referred to in the journalist's emails requesting payment approval and told them she believed the stories were published "in the public interest". |
| Brooks said several of the stories followed a campaign that the Sun was running against bullying in the armed forces, particularly of new recruits. | Brooks said several of the stories followed a campaign that the Sun was running against bullying in the armed forces, particularly of new recruits. |
| Others, she said related to "Official Secrets issues, security, inappropriate relationships and behaviour, criminality and human interest stories on those who had died in combat". | Others, she said related to "Official Secrets issues, security, inappropriate relationships and behaviour, criminality and human interest stories on those who had died in combat". |
| She was asked about an MoD official, Bettina Jordan-Barber, who has been accused of being a source of stories in the Sun. Brooks said, to the best of her knowledge, she had "never heard" of Jordan-Barber until she received a disclosure notice prior to the interview. | She was asked about an MoD official, Bettina Jordan-Barber, who has been accused of being a source of stories in the Sun. Brooks said, to the best of her knowledge, she had "never heard" of Jordan-Barber until she received a disclosure notice prior to the interview. |
| She said the journalist's "ace military contact" covered a "myriad of possibilities", saying "sources could have been military journalists, civilian staff members, husband and wives, or friends and acquaintances". | She said the journalist's "ace military contact" covered a "myriad of possibilities", saying "sources could have been military journalists, civilian staff members, husband and wives, or friends and acquaintances". |
| "I have never had a serving police officer as a paid source as editor of the Sun and the News of the World. I never sanctioned either explicitly or implicitly corrupt payments to serving police officers." | "I have never had a serving police officer as a paid source as editor of the Sun and the News of the World. I never sanctioned either explicitly or implicitly corrupt payments to serving police officers." |
| Brooks is facing five charges related to alleged illegal activity during her time on the News of the World and the Sun and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. | Brooks is facing five charges related to alleged illegal activity during her time on the News of the World and the Sun and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. |
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