London: Andy Coulson, former editor of Rupert Murdoch’s now de-funct News of The World, was on Tuesday found guilty of phone hacking, bringing a dramatic end to the eight-month trial involving media baron Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper empire in the UK.
Coulson, 46, faces a maximum sentence of two years in jail after the jury unanimously returned a guilty verdict against him at the Old Bailey court here. He was convicted of hacking phones between 2000 and 2006.
The court acquitted Caulson’s predecessor Rebekah Brooks, 46, of four charges, including plotting to hack phones, conspiring to pervert the course of justice, and two counts of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office, spanning an 11-year period at News International, including during her editorship of the NoW and The Sun.
Former NoW managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also found not guilty. Employees of the newspaper were accused of engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of publishing stories.
The 168-year-old NoW shut down in disgrace in July 2011 amid a public outcry. There were dramatic scenes outside the court on Tuesday as the flame-haired Brooks and her husband, Charlie — a racehorse trainer — who was also cleared, left the court.
Brooks said “thank you” to the jury and also held the hand of her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter. Coulson, who was found guilty of a charge of conspiracy to intercept voicemails, stood emotionless as he absorbed the news.
David Cameron apologises for hiring Coulson
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday made a “full and frank” apology after his former media chief Andy Coulson was convicted of phone hacking, saying it was a “wrong decision” to hire him.
“I am extremely sorry I employed him. It was a wr-ong decision,” he said, ad-ding, “I gave someone a se-cond chance and it turned out to be a bad decision.” He spoke after the ex-News of the World editor was found guilty at the Old Bailey of conspiring to hack phones between 2000 and 2006. Cameron appointed Coulson in 2007.
