[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18961228

Eight people, including Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, will face a total of 19 charges relating to phone hacking, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

The two ex-News of the World editors will be charged in connection with the accessing of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone messages.

They are among seven of the paper's former staff facing charges of conspiring to intercept communications.

The CPS said the charges related to 600 alleged victims between 2000 and 2006.

The revelation that 13-year-old Milly's phone had been hacked by the News of the World after she went missing in Surrey in 2002 led to the closure of the Sunday tabloid newspaper in July last year.

Mrs Brooks, who is also a former chief executive of the paper's publisher News International, faces three charges relating to the alleged accessing of phones belonging to Milly and former Fire Brigades Union boss Andrew Gilchrist, CPS legal adviser Alison Levitt QC said in a statement.

Mr Coulson, the prime minister's former communications chief, will face four charges linked to accusations of accessing the phone messages of Milly, former Labour home secretaries David Blunkett and Charles Clarke, and Calum Best, the son of the late footballer George Best.

In a statement, Mrs Brooks said: "I am not guilty of these charges. I did not authorise, nor was I aware of, phone hacking under my editorship."

She added that the charge concerning Milly was "particularly upsetting, not only as it is untrue but also because I have spent my journalistic career campaigning for victims of crime".

The others facing charges are former News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former assistant editor Ian Edmondson, former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, former assistant editor James Weatherup and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

Ms Levitt said that 13 files had been passed to the CPS by the Metropolitan Police and she had decided that there was a "realistic prospect of conviction" in relation to eight of them.

All of the suspects apart from Mr Mulcaire will be charged with conspiring to intercept communications without lawful authority between October 3, 2000, and August 9, 2006.

Prosecutors will allege that more than 600 people, including Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, were victims of this offence.

Other victims of alleged hacking named in connection with the charges were former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, television stars Abi Titmuss and John Leslie, chef Delia Smith, actors Jude Law, Sadie Frost and Sienna Miller, and footballer Wayne Rooney.

Ms Levitt said that no further action would be taken in relation to three other suspects, but police have asked her to defer making a decision over two remaining suspects while they made further inquiries.

The eight who are facing prosecution will be charged when they answer police bail later.

She added that once police had contacted all the alleged victims, a list of them would be made available.

Brooks for Bang-up!

[Sticks]

Witch hunt

[Omah]

Well, we can't burn the witch, but we can bang her up .....

[bbfan1991]

A senior Metropolitan Police detective has been charged with offering information to the News of the World (NoW) newspaper.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Det Ch Insp April Casburn had been charged with misconduct in a public office and will appear in court next month.

She is the first person charged in connection with Operation Elveden, which is investigating alleged links between the police and press.

The NoW was closed in July 2011.

Det Ch Insp Casburn is accused of offering to give the paper information in September 2010 and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 1 October for an initial hearing.

Alison Levitt, the CPS's principal legal adviser, said: "The CPS received a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police Service which arose from Operation Elveden in relation to April Casburn. Ms Casburn is employed by the Metropolitan Police Service as a detective chief inspector in specialist operations.

"We have concluded, having carefully considered the file of evidence, that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to charge DCI Casburn with misconduct in public office."

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said Det Ch Insp Casburn was the former head of the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit.

She is thought to have worked as a fraud expert at the City of London Police, prior to joining the Met.

Fifty people, including the former NoW editor and ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson, and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, have been arrested as part of Operation Elveden. But other than Det Ch Insp Casburn, no-one has yet been charged.

[bbfan1991]

A senior Metropolitan Police detective has been charged with offering information to the News of the World (NoW) newspaper.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Det Ch Insp April Casburn had been charged with misconduct in a public office and will appear in court next month.

She is the first person charged in connection with Operation Elveden, which is investigating alleged links between the police and press.

The NoW was closed in July 2011.

Det Ch Insp Casburn is accused of offering to give the paper information in September 2010 and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 1 October for an initial hearing.

Alison Levitt, the CPS's principal legal adviser, said: "The CPS received a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police Service which arose from Operation Elveden in relation to April Casburn. Ms Casburn is employed by the Metropolitan Police Service as a detective chief inspector in specialist operations.

"We have concluded, having carefully considered the file of evidence, that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to charge DCI Casburn with misconduct in public office."

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said Det Ch Insp Casburn was the former head of the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit.

She is thought to have worked as a fraud expert at the City of London Police, prior to joining the Met.

Fifty people, including the former NoW editor and ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson, and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, have been arrested as part of Operation Elveden. But other than Det Ch Insp Casburn, no-one has yet been charged.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19725264

Former News International boss Rebekah Brooks and David Cameron's former communications director Andy Coulson are due to appear in court on charges related to alleged phone hacking.

They are expected at the Old Bailey along with five former News of the World journalists, accused of conspiracy to access voicemails.

Prosecutors say the charge could relate to more than 600 victims.

Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire will also appear in court.

Mr Mulcaire stands accused of four counts relating to specific people.

The former staff members at the now-defunct NoW newspaper are its ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, ex-reporter James Weatherup and former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck.

Mr Coulson - who was NoW editor from 2003-07; Mrs Brooks who edited the paper from 2000-03 before moving to edit the Sun and then becoming chief executive officer of the two papers' parent group News International are accused along with the five other journalists of conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications.

In a separate case, Mrs Brooks, 44, from Churchill in Oxfordshire - along with her husband, Charlie, and five others - are expected in court accused of perverting the course of justice.

The charges relate to an alleged attempt to hide evidence from police investigating phone hacking claims, and illegal payments to public officials by the NoW and the Sun.

Mrs Brooks's chauffeur Paul Edwards, former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, head of security at News International Mark Hanna, and security staff Daryl Jorsling and Lee Sandell also face the charges.

[the truth]

why arent all these people in prison already? including the murdochs? they should be jailed for years. scum

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19725264

Former News International boss Rebekah Brooks and ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson have learned their trial over phone-hacking claims will take place next September.

They are among seven ex-News of the World staff accused of conspiracy to access voicemails. Prosecutors say the charge could involve about 600 victims.

Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, facing four counts relating to specific people, was also at the Old Bailey.

A 9 September 2013 trial date was set.

The former staff members from the now-defunct News of the World newspaper who are also facing trial are its ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, ex-reporter James Weatherup and former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck.

As well as a general conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications charge, other charges relate to specific people.

Mr Coulson was News of the World editor from 2003 to 2007 and Mrs Brooks edited the paper from 2000 to 2003, before moving on to edit the Sun and then becoming chief executive officer of the two papers' parent group News International.

Mr Kuttner was excused from attending Wednesday's hearing.

The provisional trial date was set for 9 September next year and all defendants were released on bail.

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In a separate case, Mrs Brooks, 44, from Churchill in Oxfordshire, her husband, Charlie, and five others appeared before the court accused of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Mrs Brooks's chauffeur Paul Edwards, former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, head of security at News International Mark Hanna, and security staff Daryl Jorsling and Lee Sandell also face the charges.

They relate to an alleged attempt to hide evidence from police investigating phone-hacking claims and illegal payments to public officials by the News of the World and the Sun.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20728141

Twenty-two victims of the News of The World phone-hacking scandal have accepted damages to settle their cases, London's High Court has heard.

The claimants include DJ Jamie Theakston, the ex-wife of golfer Colin Montgomerie - Eimear Cook - and the ex-partner of Jade Goody, Jeff Brazier.

Lead counsel Hugh Tomlinson QC said they had accepted offers of substantial damages from NoW publisher, News Group.

Other cases are likely to settle before January, he added.

"It is also right to say that there will remain a substantial number of claims going forward," he said.

Among the other claimants who have reached a settlement over the now defunct newspaper's actions are Colin Stagg, who was wrongly accused of the murder of Rachael Nickell, Robbie Williams's ex-girlfriend, Lisa Brash, and Major David Brookes.

Major Brookes is a relative by marriage of Mr Justice Vos, the judge presiding over the litigation.

There were some 167 phone hacking claims on the register prior to the settlements announced today.

No doubt the sums are in the £100ks .....

[Kizzy]

Well becky gets her 10.8m so she won't give a toss.
And the paper is up and running again so...
When will the results of the criminal investigations be heard?