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Phone-hacking trial: Brooks denies knowledge while NoW boss | Phone-hacking trial: Brooks denies knowledge while NoW boss |
(35 minutes later) | |
Rebekah Brooks has denied knowing about phone hacking during her time as editor of the now-defunct News of the World. | Rebekah Brooks has denied knowing about phone hacking during her time as editor of the now-defunct News of the World. |
During her three-year leadership of the paper, Mrs Brooks said she had never even heard private investigator Glenn Mulcaire's name mentioned. | |
Earlier, she was formally cleared of one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. | |
Mrs Brooks is one of seven defendants on trial at the Old Bailey. She denies four other charges. | |
On her first day of giving evidence at the phone-hacking trial, she was asked if Mulcaire's involvement in accessing voicemail messages was ever brought to her attention between May 2000 and June 2003. | |
She replied: "No, not at all." | She replied: "No, not at all." |
Asked by her lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw QC if she had heard Mulcaire's name mentioned during that time, Mrs Brooks said: "No." | |
Mrs Brooks told the court there were private detectives working at News of the World, and added that it was "common practice in Fleet Street." | |
Mulcaire was jailed in 2007, along with the News of the World's then-royal editor Clive Goodman, after admitting intercepting voicemails. | |
The jury heard details of major stories Mrs Brooks had worked on. | |
She said while she was features editor at the News of the World in 1995, she had agreed a $100,000 deal with prostitute Divine Brown after actor Hugh Grant was caught with her. | |
But she said the newspaper ended up spending far more - about $250,000 in total - flying Ms Brown and her family to "the desert", possibly Nevada, to keep her away from rival newspapers. | But she said the newspaper ended up spending far more - about $250,000 in total - flying Ms Brown and her family to "the desert", possibly Nevada, to keep her away from rival newspapers. |
"It was probably one of the biggest expenses that I had ever dealt with," she said. | "It was probably one of the biggest expenses that I had ever dealt with," she said. |
Rivalry 'ingrained' | |
Mrs Brooks said there was fierce competition between the news and features departments at the News of the World, as well as with other News International papers. | Mrs Brooks said there was fierce competition between the news and features departments at the News of the World, as well as with other News International papers. |
There was "probably a bit of old-school misogyny" towards her, she said, but competition between the two desks was "ingrained into the News of the World's history". | There was "probably a bit of old-school misogyny" towards her, she said, but competition between the two desks was "ingrained into the News of the World's history". |
At the beginning of her evidence Mrs Brooks spoke about her career in journalism. | |
In April 1989, she got a job as a features researcher at the News of the World's Sunday magazine, before being promoted to feature writer in September that year, she said. | |
Mrs Brooks told the court she moved to the News of the World's features department in 1992, and became deputy features editor in 1994. | |
She became aware early on of the importance of having good contacts, she said. | |
She told the court one key story in her career came when she got Paul Gascoigne to speak about domestic violence in exchange for £50,000-80,000. | |
On Wednesday the court saw an email from Mrs Brooks in which she claimed former Prime Minister Tony Blair had offered to be an "unofficial adviser" to senior News International figures when the hacking story broke. | On Wednesday the court saw an email from Mrs Brooks in which she claimed former Prime Minister Tony Blair had offered to be an "unofficial adviser" to senior News International figures when the hacking story broke. |
The Sun and the News of the World's switched to support Mr Blair in 1997, and Mrs Brooks said: "The Sun had supported the Tories for a long time and they supported Tony Blair in favour of John Major very early on. It was a big thing." | The Sun and the News of the World's switched to support Mr Blair in 1997, and Mrs Brooks said: "The Sun had supported the Tories for a long time and they supported Tony Blair in favour of John Major very early on. It was a big thing." |
Prince picture | Prince picture |
Mr Justice Saunders earlier directed the jury to acquit her of a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, saying there was "no case to answer". | |
In that count, Mrs Brooks was accused of authorising a Sun reporter to pay a serving member of the armed forces £4,000 for a picture of Prince William dressed in a bikini at a fancy dress party at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. | |
Mrs Brooks, 45, still faces two charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, one of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and one of conspiracy to hack voicemail messages - all of which she denies. | Mrs Brooks, 45, still faces two charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, one of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and one of conspiracy to hack voicemail messages - all of which she denies. |
Making an opening statement for Mrs Brooks, her lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw QC said jurors might have found the trial hard to follow so far. | Making an opening statement for Mrs Brooks, her lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw QC said jurors might have found the trial hard to follow so far. |
He said "on occasions absolutely critical information was overlooked or left out" by the prosecution. | He said "on occasions absolutely critical information was overlooked or left out" by the prosecution. |
And he told the jury that at the end of the trial, he would "have a lot more to say" about Mrs Brooks's treatment by the prosecution and the police. | And he told the jury that at the end of the trial, he would "have a lot more to say" about Mrs Brooks's treatment by the prosecution and the police. |
Mr Laidlaw reminded the jury that Mrs Brooks was not "on trial for having worked for Rupert Murdoch's company", or for being the editor of a tabloid newspaper. | Mr Laidlaw reminded the jury that Mrs Brooks was not "on trial for having worked for Rupert Murdoch's company", or for being the editor of a tabloid newspaper. |
All seven defendants deny the various charges against them. | All seven defendants deny the various charges against them. |