The former communications chief of British prime minister David Cameron appeared in court yesterday, accused with six others over hacking the phones of Hollywood stars, politicians and crime victims.
Andy Coulson, former editor of Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World, resigned from Mr Cameron’s staff last year amid a scandal that rocked Mr Murdoch’s media empire and raised questions over the prime minister’s judgment.
Mr Coulson is charged with conspiring with others to intercept voicemails.
Alongside Mr Coulson in the dock stood the newspaper’s former managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, ex-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former reporter James Weatherup. The seventh man is former private detective Glenn Mulcaire.
Rebekah Brooks, a close friend of Mr Cameron who oversaw Mr Murdoch’s British newspaper arm, has also been charged with illegally intercepting voicemail messages and will appear before the same court on September 3rd. – (Reuters)
