UK Newspaper: The Guardian Rupert Murdoch asked Rebekah Brooks not to resign the day NoW shut Phone-Hacking Trial hears of News Corp Moguls intervention after it was revealed Milly Dowlers Phone had been Hacked Rupert Murdoch asked Rebekah Brooks not to resign the day the News of the World closed, the Phone-Hacking Trial has heard. The former News International Chief Executive was giving details for the first time of her own movements in the days in the runup to the closure of the paper on 10 July 2011. She revealed that she had gone to her Oxfordshire Home over the weekend to be with her mother, who had come from her home in Warrington to give her Emotional Support during the crisis enveloping News International at the time. On the Sunday she and her husband Charlie went to the home of James Murdoch which was 25 minutes drive away near Banbury. Brooks said they discussed her future and the Sky Situation, a reference to News Corps crumbling BSkyB Bid, and then waited for a call to say that Rupert Murdoch had landed from the U.S. She told jurors earlier on Tuesday morning that she considered resigning as soon as the Guardian reported that Milly Dowlers Phone had been Hacked. She discussed it with both James and with Rupert Murdoch over the phone, but the latter told her not to do anything until he arrived in London. Rupert Murdoch arrived on the afternoon of 10 July where he again refused her resignation. Asked by Mister Justice Saunders if she resigned at the meeting, Brooks replied No. Asked by her counsel Jonathan Laidlaw QC why not, she said: Because he asked me not to. In a morning of evidence that included details of texts from Prime Minister Tony Blair, Education Secretary Michael Gove and TV Presenter Piers Morgan, there were three significant questions relating to one of the four charges faced by Brooks that she conspired with her Secretary Cheryl Carter to conceal notebooks from Police Investigation Phone Hacking on Friday 8 July 2011. Brooks has denied the charge and three others. Asked whether she had given her Carter any instructions to destroy notebooks on 8 July, Brooks responded No. Asked whether she had ever raised that topic with Carter, she responded No. Asked whether she ever discussed it, she said No. She described prosecution allegations that she instructed Carter to give her a false alibi two days before the News of the Worlds closure as ridiculous. Asked by Laidlaw if there were any truth in the allegations that you may have asked Cheryl Carter to lie about your movements at some point, getting her to say you were not at work Brooks responded: No, I was very visibly at the office. Laidlaw asked her how she felt about the suggestion that she would ask someone to lie, and she said: Its ridiculous. On 8 July I was in front of News of the World Staff, an entire floor of NoW Staff. True to NoW style, they had brought hidden cameras and listening devices – it went live on Sky News. I could hardly complain, Brooks said. The former Editor of the Sun and the News of the World told jurors that her notebooks couldnt have been destroyed because she hadnt used such books since she stopped being a reporter and became an Executive at the News of the World in the 1990s. After that she used A3 art desk pads where she would scribble things such as stories I liked and notes of phone calls. Brooks said she had worked with her Secretary, Cheryl Carter, for 16 years and described her as a friend. She said she was a very friendly and open book kind of person who helped run her life and frequently stepped in to help her personally as well as professionally. She also said Carter could be a bit scatty and forgetful. To much laughter in the court, Brooks described how Carter had once told Rupert Murdoch that her boss had gone to a meeting in MFI and not MI5. This made Murdoch very angry because he thought his top London Executive had gone shopping. Brooks described how Carter had been instructed to tell him where she was if he called in. At the time MI5 required visitors to leave mobile phones in metal boxes so Brooks would not be contactable and she did not want to give Murdoch the impression she was unavailable. He was really angry, Cheryl couldnt understand why, said Brooks. She said she was petrified about Murdochs reaction. She also told the court that she had asked Carter to go to Oxfordshire the weekend the NoW closed to look after her mother. Brooks explained she couldnt spend time with her because of the ongoing crisis. The trial continues.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:32:56 +0000
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