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Rebekah Brooks: no one told me about lead on Milly Dowler's whereabouts Rebekah Brooks: no one told me about lead on Milly Dowler's whereabouts
(about 1 hour later)
No one at the News of the World informed their editor, Rebekah Brooks, that they had information that Milly Dowler could have been alive and well and working in a factory in Telford, the Old Bailey has heard.No one at the News of the World informed their editor, Rebekah Brooks, that they had information that Milly Dowler could have been alive and well and working in a factory in Telford, the Old Bailey has heard.
Brooks told the phone-hacking trial that had she been told the schoolgirl been found looking for a job, it would have been "a big story" and she might have dumped a front-page exclusive she had lined up on axed EastEnders star Michael Greco.Brooks told the phone-hacking trial that had she been told the schoolgirl been found looking for a job, it would have been "a big story" and she might have dumped a front-page exclusive she had lined up on axed EastEnders star Michael Greco.
"If Milly Dowler had been found, had run off with a girlfriend to Eastbourne after a row with her parents and all had been made well it would still have been a big story," Brooks said."If Milly Dowler had been found, had run off with a girlfriend to Eastbourne after a row with her parents and all had been made well it would still have been a big story," Brooks said.
The jury has already been told that Dowler's phone was hacked by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in April 2002 and that he had discovered a voice message, left by mistake, by a recruitment agency in Telford.The jury has already been told that Dowler's phone was hacked by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in April 2002 and that he had discovered a voice message, left by mistake, by a recruitment agency in Telford.
This lead the paper to dispatch a team to the Midlands to try and find Dowler, who had gone missing in Surrey weeks before.This lead the paper to dispatch a team to the Midlands to try and find Dowler, who had gone missing in Surrey weeks before.
"If it had been believed back in Wapping that they were sure beyond all reasonable doubt that they had found Milly Dowler working in a factory in the Midlands, that they would have told me that she was alive. The fact is that nobody told me," Brooks said. "If it had been believed back in Wapping that they were sure beyond all reasonable doubt that they had found Milly Dowler working in a factory in the Midlands, then they would have told me that she was alive. The fact is that nobody told me," Brooks said.
Phone records show that Brooks was in contact with the paper from Dubai during the week Mulcaire had hacked Dowler's phone.Phone records show that Brooks was in contact with the paper from Dubai during the week Mulcaire had hacked Dowler's phone.
Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC asked Brooks: "If they found her at the Epson factory in Telford, as the editor you would have had to decide what went on the front page?"Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC asked Brooks: "If they found her at the Epson factory in Telford, as the editor you would have had to decide what went on the front page?"
Brooks responded: "I would have talked to my deputy, Andy Coulson, and if he had said to me 'we have found Milly Dowler and police have not been able to, and we are putting that on page 1, I would have been told that, yes."Brooks responded: "I would have talked to my deputy, Andy Coulson, and if he had said to me 'we have found Milly Dowler and police have not been able to, and we are putting that on page 1, I would have been told that, yes."
But Brooks said this conversation never took place.But Brooks said this conversation never took place.
Asked by Edis if Andy Coulson told her they were working on information that she was alive, Brooks said: "No." Asked "did anyone tell you?", she replied: "No."Asked by Edis if Andy Coulson told her they were working on information that she was alive, Brooks said: "No." Asked "did anyone tell you?", she replied: "No."
Brooks has previously testified that the first she knew of the hacking of Dowler's phone was nine years later on 4 July 2011, when the Guardian reported the unlawful interception.Brooks has previously testified that the first she knew of the hacking of Dowler's phone was nine years later on 4 July 2011, when the Guardian reported the unlawful interception.
"It surprised me that anyone thought that she was alive and a 13-year-old was working in a factory. I would remember, I would have been told she was alive, and I wasn't."It surprised me that anyone thought that she was alive and a 13-year-old was working in a factory. I would remember, I would have been told she was alive, and I wasn't.
"Looking back at it now, it does seem a rather unlikely story," said Brooks."Looking back at it now, it does seem a rather unlikely story," said Brooks.
Edis put it to Brooks that dispatching five or six journalists to Telford would have meant the story was prominent in the minds of the editors that week.Edis put it to Brooks that dispatching five or six journalists to Telford would have meant the story was prominent in the minds of the editors that week.
"Quite a big story would have been required in order to justify that amount of effort," Edis said. Brooks replied: "I think five or six is quite big.""Quite a big story would have been required in order to justify that amount of effort," Edis said. Brooks replied: "I think five or six is quite big."
The jury heard that a journalist on the news desk, Vanessa Large, called the Telford factory at 5.30pm on Friday 12 April and that the paper did not tell the police that they had hacked the school girl's voicemail and found information suggesting she might be alive until Saturday afternoon.The jury heard that a journalist on the news desk, Vanessa Large, called the Telford factory at 5.30pm on Friday 12 April and that the paper did not tell the police that they had hacked the school girl's voicemail and found information suggesting she might be alive until Saturday afternoon.
"If someone had been told she was alive and they were sure she was alive, I would have expected them to tell the police with or without me being there," said Brooks."If someone had been told she was alive and they were sure she was alive, I would have expected them to tell the police with or without me being there," said Brooks.
The paper planned, and did, lead with an exclusive interview the paper had secured with Greco as part of a £15,000 joint deal with the Sun, the jury heard.The paper planned, and did, lead with an exclusive interview the paper had secured with Greco as part of a £15,000 joint deal with the Sun, the jury heard.
Earlier Brooks had told the hacking trial that she did not take a special interest in Dowler's disappearance. She said she might have cancelled her holiday if she felt that Dowler had been murdered by a predatory paedophile and there were links to the Sarah Payne case.Earlier Brooks had told the hacking trial that she did not take a special interest in Dowler's disappearance. She said she might have cancelled her holiday if she felt that Dowler had been murdered by a predatory paedophile and there were links to the Sarah Payne case.
She said that initially there were concerns that this may have happened because the two girls had lived three streets away, but by the time she was due to go on holiday in April 2002, the police had been briefing that they were focusing on Dowler's father.She said that initially there were concerns that this may have happened because the two girls had lived three streets away, but by the time she was due to go on holiday in April 2002, the police had been briefing that they were focusing on Dowler's father.
The police later dropped this line of inquiry and Levi Bellfield was convicted of killing Milly Dowler.The police later dropped this line of inquiry and Levi Bellfield was convicted of killing Milly Dowler.
"I suspect I mightn't have gone away," Brooks said, if the police had made the links."I suspect I mightn't have gone away," Brooks said, if the police had made the links.
The jury were shown a 12-point letter from the News of the World's then managing editor Stuart Kuttner to the assistant chief constable at Surrey police. Referring to Milly as "Amanda", Kuttner told Frank Clarke him the paper had "identified eight convicted child sex offenders who appear to live within a two- to three-mile radius of Amanda's home".The jury were shown a 12-point letter from the News of the World's then managing editor Stuart Kuttner to the assistant chief constable at Surrey police. Referring to Milly as "Amanda", Kuttner told Frank Clarke him the paper had "identified eight convicted child sex offenders who appear to live within a two- to three-mile radius of Amanda's home".
Brooks denied Kuttner told her about an email he sent Surrey police about the messages on Dowler's phone. Brooks denied Kuttner told her about an email sent to Surrey police alerting then to the fact the paper had listened to one of Dowler's messages.
"Would there have been reason for him not to tell what he was doing?" Edis asked. Brooks responded: "No, not at all. He did deal with chief constables, he was the managing editor. He was an experienced news journalist and was very involved in Sarah's Law." "Would there have been any reason for him not to tell you what he was doing?" Edis asked. "No, not at all," she replied.
Edis put it to her: "Mrs Brooks, you must have known what your paper was doing in relation to that phone at the time?" She replied: "No." Edis put it to her: "Mrs Brooks, you must have known what your paper was doing in relation to that phone at the time."
Edis continued: "They were telling police, but not you?" Brooks repeated: "Nobody told me," adding that the first she knew that Dowler's phone been hacked was when she read it in the Guardian nine years later. Brooks replied: "No".
"I did not know about phone hacking of Milly Dowler," she said firmly. Edis pressed her again: "They were telling police but not you?"
Brooks replied "nobody told me", repeating her earlier evidence that the first she knew about the hacking of Dowler's phone was when the Guardian reported it nine years later. "I did not know about phone hacking of Milly Dowler," she replied firmly.
Later Brooks was quizzed about notes appearing to show that Mulcaire had been tasked to hack the phone of the sister of Maxine Carr, the girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley.
She denied any knowledge of this.
Brooks, Coulson and Kuttner deny one charge that they were involved in a conspiracy to hack phones.Brooks, Coulson and Kuttner deny one charge that they were involved in a conspiracy to hack phones.
The trial continues.The trial continues.