Tag Archives: hacking trial

Hacking trial :Charlie Brooks and Kuttner’s Costs Application Rejected : Judge’s statement in full

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Peter Jukes reports here that Mr Justice Saunders has rejected claims totalling £630,000 from the taxpayer for costs by Charlie Brooks and Stuart Kuttner. Both were acquitted in the hacking trial. But the judge says they put themselves under suspicion and he refused their applications. The judge is right in my view. The judge’s ruling is published in full in this blog.

The Criminal Media Nexus

While News UK withdrew, at the last minute, their £10-20 million application for costs for Brooks and other corporately defended clients, the claim by Charlie Brooks and Stuart for their private expenses has also been rejected my Mr Justice Saunders today: his full decision is below. Charlie had claimed half a million for his defence, while Stuart Kuttner £130,000  for his individual costs.

Meanwhile, Private Eye has added more detail to the reason News UK withdrew it’s cost application ten days ago,

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Justice Saunders Sentencing Remarks at the Hacking Trial

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What the judge said about Coulson and the other defendants in full.Andy Coulson got 18 months in jail.

The Criminal Media Nexus

R –v- Coulson and others.

Sentencing Remarks

Parliament has decided that it is a criminal offence to access the voicemails of other people without their consent or an order of the court. Parliament has decided that the offence applies to members of the press in the same way as it does to all other citizens. This law provides the same protection to all citizens including those who, for one reason or another, are in the public eye. Parliament set the maximum sentence for the offence of intercepting communications at 2 years imprisonment and Parliament has decided that the same maximum sentence applies to an offence of conspiracy which can cover, as it does in this case, a very large number of individual offences.

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CPS on “A Culture of Invading Privacy” – and the Real Police Costs

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Despite the hype this is the REAL cost of the trial. Note the astonishing figure that 5500 people are thought to have been hacked by the News of the World. What a disgrace to journalism if this figure is indeed accurate. I note that 3500 people have been informed that they were hacked.

The Criminal Media Nexus

In response to the advance media storm last night (before the trial had closed) the CPS have released the following statement

“This case was not about whether phone hacking took place or whether public officials were paid for information; there are a significant number of recent convictions which show that both did happen.

“This has been a lengthy and complex trial which was required to explore a culture of invading privacy. Despite a number of applications by the defence to have the case thrown out the Judge agreed that the evidence was sufficient for consideration by the jury.

“The jury has found that Andy Coulson, former editor of a national newspaper, conspired with others to hack phones. Others who have admitted their role in this illegal practice – Greg Miskiw, Neville Thurlbeck, James Weatherup, Glenn Mulcaire and Dan Evans – all now face sentencing…

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You’ve followed the hacking trial, soon you can get the insider book

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The scrum around defendant Rebekah Brooks at the Old Bailey. Pic courtesy Inforrm Blog

The scrum around defendant Rebekah Brooks at the Old Bailey. Pic courtesy Inforrm Blog

The first ever Old Bailey trial to be covered by tweeting is about to become a book.

Peter Jukes, the dramatist,citizen journalist and friend, has  made a little bit of journalism history by providing instant tweets from the trial and got the public to back him through ” crowd sourcing.”

Now with the trial about to end he is producing  a book subtitled The Inside Story of the Hacking Trial. This will not just be a rerun of his half a million words in tweets but the stuff  reporters can’t print while a trial is in full swing because it would be contempt of court.

And as it involves the Murdoch empire there will be a lot to disclose that can’t be reported now.

To do this he has teamed up with Martin Hickman, whose blogs, with his permission, have been reproduced on this site as they appeared on Inforrm’s blog and Hacked Off websites. He is publishing the book under his own imprint, the Canbury Press.

It will be sold in four formats, including an e-book priced £8.99, from www.hackingtrial.com.
The four formats are e-book for quick release; first edition signed paperback with free e-book; the above with a dedication in the paperback and an invite to the launch party with special guests; and an access-all-areas pass.

Peter Jukes was recently named best reporter on Twitter and social media by Press Gazette in April and whose blog was nominated a month later for best UK news site by the London Press Club. He talks about book here.

He soundly beat yours truly as the best reporter on Twitter which is hardly surprising given his innovative skills. So be part of journalist history and buy into the new way journalism will survive well into the twenty first century.

 

 

Support Peter Jukes to give a blow by blow account of the Murdoch hacking trial

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I don’t normally do special appeals on this website. But this an exception.

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Peter Jukes  has so far posted 100,000 tweets giving virtually live coverage of prosecution case against Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson and other leading News International figures. To do this requires stamina, dedication, flair, accuracy and  real commitment. He also like the rest of us has to live. So he is asking for people to back his journalism by appealing for cash to allow him to finish the job – which could take up to June.

 I first came across Peter when I was in the middle of a long investigation into the ” cash for questions” scandal in the 1990s. At the time The Guardian paid my salary to do this. He is the sort of guy who should have support if we are going to keep real journalism going – and also be sure that the public can follow the trial in full – rather than relying on an occasional edited version appearing in the mainstream media.

This is his appeal . Back him.

Help fund the new campaign

First, thanks again. Back in October your support enabled me, a freelance journalist and author, to provide live coverage of the phone hacking trial till Christmas.

The Prosecution Case is now Closing. Early in February, the defence cases will start in the phone hacking trial.

This is always the most dramatic phase of any trial, when the defendants lay out their case, and are open to cross-examination.

Help me live tweet the hacking trial till its conclusion – expected in June. 

According to Jon Lippitt, who compiles and indexes my tweets in for future reference on my blog., I have now tweeted more than 100,000 words in three-quarters of a million keystrokes.

Phew! Ouch. RSI. So now I’m fundraising to finish the job.

In return for your support I promise to provide:

  • Live, independent and detailed coverage  – answerable to you
  • Daily updates indexed on my blog  with stories by Claire Pollard
  • All new features in an easy-to-read flipboard magazine, plus highlights from other coverage.
  • Eventually a complete searchable database of the main evidence of the trial .

I’ve taken on board many of your suggestions for special perks. Please support my new campaign at Indiegogo.

Phone Hacking Trial: Jury hears evidence from News International Archivist on ‘concealing evidence’ charge

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The trial now moves to whether Rebekah Brooks was involved in concealing evidence to prevent the police investigating. Andy Coulson was excused a court appearance as he is not involved in these charges. The court also learnt about Charlie Brooks,Rebecca’s husband buying up surplus News International silverware used to wine and dine the great, the good and the not so good.

Inforrm's Blog

Brooks and CarterDay 34: The jury at the Old Bailey phone hacking trial yesterday heard evidence relating to the allegations of conspiracy to prevert the course of justice.  Prosecution Counsel, Andrew Edis QC, told that jury that for the next two to three weeks they would hear evidence on Counts 6 and 7.

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Phone Hacking Trial Report: Brooks and Coulson would have known about phone hacking at NoTW, jury is told – Martin Hickman

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blistering report of the opening of the prosecution case against Rebekah Brooks in the great hacking trial on the Hacked Off and Inforrm blog websites.

Inforrm's Blog

Rebekah Brooks personally approved payment of almost £40,000 to a civil servant in return for information, the phone hacking trial heard today. Mrs Brooks was editing the Sun newspaper when the payments were made to the official, Andrew Edis QC, prosecuting, told the jury.

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Phone Hacking “Trial of the Century” begins tomorrow: eight defendants face a total of seven charges

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This is going to be very interesting as alongside Rupert Murdoch must be wondering whether his company may face corporate charges. This follows the two secret recordings of his and former chief executive Tom Mockridge released on the Exaro website over the last few weeks, particularly as Murdoch’s private views are in the hands of the Met Police.

Inforrm's Blog

Brooks and CoulsonThe first phone-hacking trial begins next week before Mr Justice Saunders and a jury in Court 12 at the Central Criminal Court (the “Old Bailey”) in London on Monday 28 October 2013.  The first day or two are expected to be taken up with legal argument and the selection of the jury so the prosecution opening is not likely to begin until Tuesday or Wednesday. The trial is expected to last at least 4 months.

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