Phone Hacking Jury Retires To Consider Verdicts

by Guest Wed Jun 11, 2014 6:16 pm

Phone Hacking Jury Retires To Consider Verdicts
The jurors are told to "act according to your oath" in the trial of the seven defendants, who deny all of the charges.

The jury in the trial of ex-News of the World bosses accused of plotting to hack phones has retired to consider its verdicts.

Former editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, along with the retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner, are accused of being part of a conspiracy from 2000 to 2006.

Coulson, 46, is also accused of two counts of conspiring with former NOTW royal editor Clive Goodman to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.

Brooks faces the same charge over approving payments to a Sun journalist's military contact between 2004 and 2012.

The former News International chief executive is also accused of plotting with her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 50, to pervert the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the company archive shortly before she was arrested three years ago.

Brooks, 46, along with husband Charlie and NI director of security Mark Hanna, 51, is further charged with perverting the course of justice by hiding potential evidence from police in July 2011.

The jury of eight women and three men was sent out shortly after 3.30pm and the 11 jurors were told to "act according to your oath" by Mr Justice Saunders.

He said: "You have to reach true verdicts according to the evidence. That evidence you have heard in court. Put out of your head anything you have heard outside court."

He added: "On behalf of all of us, I think it has been a privilege to work with all of you."

Coulson, of Charing, Kent, the Brooks, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, Hanna of Buckingham, Carter of Chelmsford, Essex, Goodman of Addlestone, Surrey, and 74-year-old Kuttner, of Woodford Green, Essex, deny the charges.

http://news.sky.com/story/1280264/phone-hacking-jury-retires-to-consider-verdicts

I think they might be debating for quite a while after so much evidence.