Phone-Hacking Trial Set for 2013

LONDON: Ex-News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson were told on Wednesday they will go on trial for phone hacking at the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid in September 2013.
The decision leaves the scandal hanging over British Prime Minister David Cameron for another year because he is a close friend of Brooks and he employed Coulson as his director of communications.
A judge set the date after several defendants appeared at the Old Bailey court in London.
The phone-hacking scandal led to the closure of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid, which had a circulation of around 2.7 million, in July 2011. Brooks, 44, is a former head of Murdoch’s British newspaper wing News International, while Coulson, also 44, was the prime minister’s media chief until January 2011.
Judge Adrian Fulford gave directions for the management of two separate cases: one relates to the illegal hacking of mobile phone voicemails, while the other is over alleged attempts to pervert the course of justice.
The proposed trial date was September 9, 2013, with a further preliminary hearing on December 12 and 13 this year, Fulford said. Brooks, dressed in a cream coat and black skirt, and all the other defendants spoke only to confirm their names and their bail was extended.
Appearing with Brooks and Coulson on the phone-hacking charges were the News of the World’s former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, reporter James Weatherup, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
Stuart Kuttner, the News of the World’s former managing editor, has also been charged with phone hacking but was not in court on Wednesday.
Police say the case involves the hacking of 600 people’s voicemails, including Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney.
Separately, Brooks faces three charges of perverting the course of justice by removing boxes of material from the archive of News International (NI) and trying to hide documents, computers and other material from police.