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            Former British Tabloid Editor Convicted of Phone Hacking

   by VOA News

   Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was convicted of phone
   hacking Tuesday after a months-long trial centering on illegal activity
   at the heart of Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper empire.
   But fellow editor Rebekah Brooks, the former boss of News Corp.'s
   British newspaper arm, was found not guilty by a London court of being
   part of an illegal conspiracy at a Murdoch tabloid to hack into phones
   and bribe officials.

   Coulson, 46, who was forced to resign from his position with Cameron
   over the scandal, now faces jail following his conviction at the Old
   Bailey court in London.

   The jury delivered their verdicts after eight days of deliberations at
   the end of a marathon 130-day trial.

   Hacked voicemails
   Both Coulson and Brooks were former editors of Murdoch's News of the
   World, the 168-year-old tabloid the media mogul closed in July 2011
   amid a public outcry over revelations that journalists had hacked into
   the voicemails on the mobile phone of a murdered schoolgirl.

   The scandal sent shockwaves through Britain's political elite, with
   prime ministers from both main parties shown to have been close to
   Murdoch and his senior staff, including Brooks.

   Cameron, who ordered a public inquiry into press ethics in the
   immediate aftermath, faces embarrassment over Coulson's conviction.

   Cameron stands by a pledge to make "a profound apology" after Coulson
   was found guilty, the British leader's spokesman said.

   Cameron told parliament in 2011 he would make such an apology if it
   turned out that Coulson had lied to him and did know about phone
   hacking at the now defunct News of the World newspaper.

   When asked on Tuesday whether Cameron was standing by his pledge to
   apologize, a spokesman for Cameron told reporters: "The prime
   minister's words as given to parliament stand entirely."

   The 46-year-old Brooks was cleared of being part of a conspiracy to
   hack into phones to find exclusive stories, of authorizing illegal
   payments to public officials and of trying to hinder the police
   investigation.

   On hearing the verdict at London's Old Bailey, Brooks showed little
   immediate emotion but was later led out of the court by a nurse.

   Other court action
   Three others - Brooks' husband, Charles Brooks; her former secretary
   Cheryl Carter, and News International security chief Mark Hanna - were
   acquitted of perverting the course of justice by attempting to hide
   evidence from police.
   Former News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner was found not
   guilty of phone hacking.

   The defendants stood silently in the dock as the forewoman of the
   11-member jury announced the verdicts.

   The scandal led Murdoch to shut down the 168-year-old tabloid and
   spurred criminal investigations in which dozens of journalists and
   officials have been arrested.
   The hacking scandal also prompted a judge-led inquiry into the ethics
   of Britain's famously aggressive press, which made recommendations for
   reforming the way it is governed, yet to be put into force.

   Some information for this report provided by Reuters, AFP and AP.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/former-british-tabloid-editor-convicted-of-phone-hacking/1943660.html