This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26337845

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Rebekah Brooks 'did not know hacking was illegal' Rebekah Brooks 'did not know hacking was illegal'
(35 minutes later)
Rebekah Brooks has told the phone-hacking trial she did not realise the practice was illegal when she was editor of the News of the WorldRebekah Brooks has told the phone-hacking trial she did not realise the practice was illegal when she was editor of the News of the World
Mrs Brooks said she "didn't think anybody, me included, knew it was illegal".Mrs Brooks said she "didn't think anybody, me included, knew it was illegal".
She told the Old Bailey she was felt "shock and horror" after she discovered murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked by the newspaper. She told the Old Bailey she felt "shock and horror" after she discovered murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked.
Mrs Brooks, one of seven defendants on trial, denies four charges.Mrs Brooks, one of seven defendants on trial, denies four charges.
Asked was she ever asked to sanction the accessing of voicemails for a story during her time as editor of the newspaper, Mrs Brooks replied: "No."Asked was she ever asked to sanction the accessing of voicemails for a story during her time as editor of the newspaper, Mrs Brooks replied: "No."
She said: "No journalist ever came to me and said we're working on so and so a story but we need to access their voicemail and we need to ask for my sanction to do it.She said: "No journalist ever came to me and said we're working on so and so a story but we need to access their voicemail and we need to ask for my sanction to do it.
"Even though I didn't know it was illegal, I absolutely felt it was in the category of a serious breach of privacy.""Even though I didn't know it was illegal, I absolutely felt it was in the category of a serious breach of privacy."
Mrs Brooks denies conspiring to hack phones, conspiring to commit misconduct in public office, and conspiring to cover up evidence to pervert the course of justice.Mrs Brooks denies conspiring to hack phones, conspiring to commit misconduct in public office, and conspiring to cover up evidence to pervert the course of justice.
Mrs Brooks said she knew nothing about the tasking of the convicted phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire to access 13-year-old Milly's voicemails in 2002.Mrs Brooks said she knew nothing about the tasking of the convicted phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire to access 13-year-old Milly's voicemails in 2002.
She told the court she only became aware Milly's phone had been hacked on 4 July 2011.She told the court she only became aware Milly's phone had been hacked on 4 July 2011.
Asked about her reaction when she found out, the 45-year-old said: "Shock, horror, everything. I just think anyone would think that that was pretty abhorrent, so my reaction was that," she said. The NoW was closed later that month following the revelations.
Asked about her reaction to hearing the schoolgirl's phone had been targeted, the 45-year-old said: "Shock, horror, everything. I just think anyone would think that that was pretty abhorrent, so my reaction was that."
The court heard Milly's mobile phone was hacked between 10 and 12 April, when Mrs Brooks was on holiday in Dubai with her then husband, Ross Kemp.
Mr Laidlaw asked the former editor: "Was that ever brought to your attention at any point, firstly during your holiday in Dubai?"
"Absolutely not," Brooks said.
"Or thereafter?" Mr Laidlaw asked, to which she replied "No".
When asked if it was brought to her attention before 4 July 2011 she again replied "No."
Mr Laidlaw also questioned whether she would have sanctioned phone hacking if there had been a strong public interest.
Mr Brooks said she "may have done" but said the question was "hypothetical, because no-one ever asked me".
'Pretty normal''Pretty normal'
The court has also heard details of a contract which agreed to pay convicted phone hacker Mulcaire £1,769 a week, or £92,000 a year, to supply information.The court has also heard details of a contract which agreed to pay convicted phone hacker Mulcaire £1,769 a week, or £92,000 a year, to supply information.
Asked if she had seen the contract, Mrs Brooks told the Old Bailey: "No, I didn't."Asked if she had seen the contract, Mrs Brooks told the Old Bailey: "No, I didn't."
Asked by her barrister, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, whether her attention was ever drawn to the contract, which started on September 1, 2001, she said: "Not at the time, no."Asked by her barrister, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, whether her attention was ever drawn to the contract, which started on September 1, 2001, she said: "Not at the time, no."
Pressed on what she meant by "at the time", she added: "During my editorship."Pressed on what she meant by "at the time", she added: "During my editorship."
Mulcaire was jailed in 2007, along with the News of the World's then-royal editor, Clive Goodman, after admitting intercepting voicemails.Mulcaire was jailed in 2007, along with the News of the World's then-royal editor, Clive Goodman, after admitting intercepting voicemails.
Mrs Brooks said the NoW used "a lot" of investigators during the late 1990s and early 2000s, adding that it was "pretty normal" in Fleet Street.Mrs Brooks said the NoW used "a lot" of investigators during the late 1990s and early 2000s, adding that it was "pretty normal" in Fleet Street.
She said investigators did the "leg work" for journalists, citing an example when the newspaper traced convicted paedophiles living in the community.She said investigators did the "leg work" for journalists, citing an example when the newspaper traced convicted paedophiles living in the community.
She said Mulcaire's payments wouldn't usually have gone to her unless department heads were going over their budgets.She said Mulcaire's payments wouldn't usually have gone to her unless department heads were going over their budgets.
Mrs Brooks also denied seeing an internal email asking for a payment to Mulcaire in return for information on the killers of Jamie Bulger.Mrs Brooks also denied seeing an internal email asking for a payment to Mulcaire in return for information on the killers of Jamie Bulger.
"I never heard his name before he was arrested - I never heard the name of Glenn Mulcaire," she said."I never heard his name before he was arrested - I never heard the name of Glenn Mulcaire," she said.
All seven defendants deny the various charges against them.All seven defendants deny the various charges against them.