Rebecca Brooks, Rupert Murdoch’s favourite is charged with perverting the course of justice in phone-hacking scandal, high flyer not flying high now!

Dear All

It seems that David Cameron’s pal and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie are to be charged with perverting the course of justice.

The phone-hacking scandal just keeps on giving; Brooks isn’t just anyone in News International she is very much seen as a ‘Murdoch’.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Brooks and five others will face criminal prosecution.

In a joint statement, Brooks and her husband branded the decision as 'weak and unjust'.

And she will need a good lawyer as she faces the three conspiracy charges against her.

How does this look?

Very bad, given the Milly Dowler story, there will be a lot of emotion attached to this trial and a less than understanding public.

Could be she is booked to Club Fed or HMP Long Poke.

In a statement, Mr and Mrs Brooks said:

“We have this morning been informed by the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions that we are to be charged with perverting the course of justice. We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station.”

Perverting the course of justice is a serious charge and the fact the Police are citing as evidence of guilt the hiding of material including computers, documents and other electronic documents via the less than Famous Five might mean smoke and fire.

So what is the evidence already in the public domain which warrants such a charge?

The discovery of a bag containing a laptop, iPhone and paperwork which was found in the bin in an underground car park near their £1.5 million home in London's exclusive Chelsea Harbour.

The Brooks have respond by saying that the find was down to a misunderstanding between them and a friend.

I am sure everyone has friends who leave expensive laptops and iPhones in car parks.

The bad news of the Phone Hacking scandal is corruption.

Police use the press and vice versa but paid police officers for information is corruption and this was going on for sometime which makes it all the more damaging for Rupert Murdoch and News International.

Down the road at HM Revenue and Customs an employee there was arrested by detectives investigating corrupt payments to public officials.

The 50-year-old man was held on suspicion of misconduct in a public office by officers from Operation Elveden.

Police also confirmed that a 43-year-old woman was also arrested at the address in North West London.

And held on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and money-laundering offences!

Would anyone believe that Rebekah Brooks was unaware of payment to officials given her position at News International?

Brooks, a Warrington-born high-flyer in Rupert Murdoch's media empire, is one of the most high profile figures in the newspaper industry, if the court case finds her guilty, the next piece of flying she will be doing is her arse straight into a jail cell.

Conviction will mean prison and prison will mean a severe sentence.

Given the closeness of Brooks to David Cameron, he will carry the stink of this mess on him.

Keir Starmer QC of the CPS said he was facing 'very difficult and sensitive decisions' as he predicted more cases were coming his way.

Starmer is the kind of guy when gets his teeth into something will get a conviction from a jury.

Brooks better find a genius.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University