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Andy Coulson guilty over phone hacking as Rebekah Brooks walks free Andy Coulson guilty over phone hacking as Rebekah Brooks walks free
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron's former communications chief Andy Coulson is facing jail after being found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones while he was was editing the News of the World. David Cameron's former communications chief Andy Coulson is facing jail after being found guilty of conspiring to hack phones while he was editor of the News of the World.
However, Rebekah Brooks, his predecessor in the job walked free from the Old Bailey after she was cleared of all four the charges she faced in the eight-month trial. Rebekah Brooks, his predecessor in the job, walked free from the Old Bailey after she was cleared of all four of the charges she faced in the eight-month trial.
There were dramatic scenes outside the court as Brooks and her husband, who was also cleared, left the dock. There were dramatic scenes outside the court as Brooks and her husband Charlie, who was also cleared, left the dock.
Coulson stood emotionless as he absorbed the news. Looking faint and close to tears, Brooks walked with the support of the court's matron and later walked arm and arm with her, and her solicitor Angus McBride. Coulson stood emotionless as he absorbed the news. Looking faint and close to tears, Brooks walked with the support of the court's matron and her solicitor Angus McBride.
Behind her walked her husband who was also close to tears as was her secretary Cheryl Carter who was also cleared. Brooks smiled as the jury forewoman called out the first of the verdicts on the four charges she faced. She smiled weakly as the first verdict of not guilty was called out, knowing she had three more to come, Her husband, a racehorse trainer, who was also close to tears, followed, as hid her secretary, Cheryl Carter, who was also cleared. Brooks smiled as the jury forewoman called out the first of the verdicts on the four charges she faced. She smiled weakly as the first verdict of not guilty was called out, knowing she had three more to come,
Her husband, racehorse trainer Charlie, Carter and News International's head of security Mark Hanna were all cleared of one count each – a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice Charlie, Carter and News International's head of security, Mark Hanna, were all cleared of one count each – a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Coulson's verdict immediately raises questions for Cameron, who hired him as director of communications only a few weeks after he quit the News of the World. Brooks and her husband Charlie made no comment on the verdicts and left the Old Bailey to be confronted by a phalanx of photographers, TV crews and members of the public as she was shepherded to an awaiting taxi.
He has spent the last seven years denying he knew about hacking and shocked everyone bar his defence team in court when he revealed for the first time he had listened to the voicemail of former home secretary David Blunkett in 2004, three years before he was hired by Cameron. Asked if she had a comment to make, her solicitor Angus McBride said she couldn't say anything because the trial was ongoing with several verdicts still to be reached.
Coulson's verdict raises immediate questions for Cameron, who hired him as director of communications only a few weeks after he quit the News of the World. Number 10 indicated that Cameron was set to make a "profound apology" following the Coulson verdict.
Coulson has spent the last seven years denying he knew about hacking and shocked everyone bar his defence team in court when he revealed for the first time he had listened to the voicemail of former home secretary David Blunkett in 2004, three years before he was hired by Cameron.
He went into the trial last year pleading not guilty to committing a crime by conspiring to hack phones and consistently denied that he had any knowledge of the practice was widespread at the tabloid since he had resigned from the News of the World in January 2007. At that time he had stepped down because he took "ultimate responsibility" when one a reporter, royal editor Clive Goodman, had pleaded guilty to phone hacking.He went into the trial last year pleading not guilty to committing a crime by conspiring to hack phones and consistently denied that he had any knowledge of the practice was widespread at the tabloid since he had resigned from the News of the World in January 2007. At that time he had stepped down because he took "ultimate responsibility" when one a reporter, royal editor Clive Goodman, had pleaded guilty to phone hacking.
His admission that he knew one of his reporters had hacked into the home secretary's messages at a time when Britain was at war in Iraq and he did not sack or discipline him, raises questions about the security vetting he was subjected to before he was given clearance to work at No 10 in 2010.His admission that he knew one of his reporters had hacked into the home secretary's messages at a time when Britain was at war in Iraq and he did not sack or discipline him, raises questions about the security vetting he was subjected to before he was given clearance to work at No 10 in 2010.
Coulson has told the Leveson inquiry that he may have had "unsupervised access" to material designated top secret or above and attended meetings of the national security council.Coulson has told the Leveson inquiry that he may have had "unsupervised access" to material designated top secret or above and attended meetings of the national security council.
At the Leveson inquiry, in June 2012, Cameron said that when the Guardian first reported in 2009 that phone hacking at the News of the World may have gone farther than a single rogue reporter, the PM said Coulson had repeated an assurance made on taking the job with the Conservatives that he had known nothing about it.At the Leveson inquiry, in June 2012, Cameron said that when the Guardian first reported in 2009 that phone hacking at the News of the World may have gone farther than a single rogue reporter, the PM said Coulson had repeated an assurance made on taking the job with the Conservatives that he had known nothing about it.
Under oath, Cameron replied: "I was reliant on his word but I was also reliant on the fact that the Press Complaints Commission had accepted his word, the select committee had accepted his word, the police had accepted his word, the Crown Prosecution Service had accepted his word." But at that point in 2009, Coulson had not been interviewed by the police, CPS or a select committee on the subject: and the PCC never interviewed Coulson personally.Under oath, Cameron replied: "I was reliant on his word but I was also reliant on the fact that the Press Complaints Commission had accepted his word, the select committee had accepted his word, the police had accepted his word, the Crown Prosecution Service had accepted his word." But at that point in 2009, Coulson had not been interviewed by the police, CPS or a select committee on the subject: and the PCC never interviewed Coulson personally.
Brooks's acquittal on the four charges will provide some relief for Rupert Murdoch, who once described the woman who rose to be chief executive of his London based News International operation his "top priority" when the phone hacking crisis first broke in the summer of 2011.Brooks's acquittal on the four charges will provide some relief for Rupert Murdoch, who once described the woman who rose to be chief executive of his London based News International operation his "top priority" when the phone hacking crisis first broke in the summer of 2011.
Former managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also found not guilty on phone hacking charges.
The jury have not reached unanimous verdicts on two further charges faced by Andy Coulson and one charge faced by the News of the World's former royal editor.
The judge instructed them to deliberate further and gave them a majority direction, which means they can return with a verdict that is not unanimous.