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Hacking trial: Cameron to face questions over links with Coulson as jury resumes deliberations Hacking trial: Rupert Murdoch 'to face police quiz' as Coulson jury considers final verdict
(about 1 hour later)
Prime Minister David Cameron is likely to face more questions about his links to Andy Coulson today as a jury resumes deliberations on whether the former Number 10 spin doctor is guilty of further charges. The Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to face more questions from MPs about his links to Andy Coulson today as a jury resumes deliberations on whether the former Number 10 spin doctor is guilty of further charges.
Coulson was found guilty yesterday of plotting to hack phones while he was editor of the News of the World. Coulson was found guilty by a jury of eight women and three men on Tuesday of conspiring to hack phones while he was editor of the News of the World. The former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks was cleared of all charges.
An Old Bailey jury is still considering allegations that Coulson, 46, of Charing, Kent, conspired with former royal editor Clive Goodman 56, of Addlestone, Surrey, to commit misconduct in a public office by agreeing to pay police officers for two royal directories. They both deny the two charges. An Old Bailey jury is still considering allegations that Coulson, 46, of Charing, Kent, conspired with former royal editor Clive Goodman, 56, of Addlestone, Surrey, to commit misconduct in a public office by agreeing to pay police officers for two royal directories. They both deny the two charges.
Coulson, who was forced to resign as Mr Cameron's director of communications over the scandal, faces up to two years in jail for hacking following the high-profile trial. Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Rupert Murdoch will be interviewed by police investigating the possibility of a corporate charge against News UK – formally known as News International  - which will be conducted under caution, according to The Guardian.
The jury of eight women and three men found him guilty of conspiring to hack phones, but cleared ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks of all charges. The newspaper reports that Mr Murdoch was first contacted by detectives looking to question him last year, but says it agreed to a request from his lawyers that they wait until the trial was finished.
Married father-of-three Coulson was recruited by the Chancellor George Osborne to head up the Tory media operation within months of resigning as News of the World editor in January 2007. A Scotland Yard spokesman said they were "not prepared to discuss" the newspaper’s report.
When Mr Cameron entered Downing Street the former journalist took on duties heading up the Number 10 spin operation, quitting shortly before he was arrested over the phone-hacking scandal. Coulson, who resigned as Mr Cameron's director of communications after the allegations about phone hacking resurfaced, faces a maximum two years in jail for hacking following the high-profile trial.
It is expected that Mr Cameron will be asked about Coulson at Prime Minister's Questions today. The married father-of-three was recruited by Chancellor George Osborne to head the Tory media operation within months of resigning as News of the World editor in January 2007.
Following the verdict yesterday, Mr Cameron said: "I take full responsibility for employing Andy Coulson. I did so on the basis of undertakings I was given by him about phone hacking and those turned out not to be the case. When Mr Cameron entered Downing Street the former journalist took on duties heading the Number 10 spin operation, quitting shortly before he was arrested over the phone-hacking scandal.
Mr Cameron apologised on Tuesday over his appointment, saying that he was “extremely sorry”.
Following the partial verdict yesterday, he said: "I take full responsibility for employing Andy Coulson. I did so on the basis of undertakings I was given by him about phone hacking and those turned out not to be the case.
"I always said that if they turned out to be wrong, I would make a full and frank apology and I do that today. I am extremely sorry that I employed him. It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that.""I always said that if they turned out to be wrong, I would make a full and frank apology and I do that today. I am extremely sorry that I employed him. It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that."
The issue is expected to be raised during Prime Minister's Questions today.
Mr Osborne said: "We gave him a second chance but, knowing what we now know, it's clear that we made the wrong decision."Mr Osborne said: "We gave him a second chance but, knowing what we now know, it's clear that we made the wrong decision."
Yesterday's partial verdicts were delivered on the jury's eighth day of deliberations and the 138th day of the trial. Ms Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking, misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's "number one military contact" between 2004 and 2012, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice.
Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking, misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's "number one military contact" between 2004 and 2012, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice. Her husband Charlie Brooks was cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.
She appeared to try to keep her emotions in check when the first of the not guilty verdicts was announced, simply nodding towards the jury with a slight smile.
Later, she left the court holding hands with her husband Charlie and made no comment to waiting reporters.
Mr Brooks, a 52-year-old racehorse trainer, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, was cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.
Retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 74, was also cleared of being part of the hacking conspiracy dating back to 2000 and spanning six years. As he left court, he gave his "enduring thanks" to his legal team.Retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 74, was also cleared of being part of the hacking conspiracy dating back to 2000 and spanning six years. As he left court, he gave his "enduring thanks" to his legal team.
Brooks's former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 50, of Chelmsford, Essex, was cleared of perverting the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the NI archive just days before she was arrested in 2011. Brooks's former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 50, of Chelmsford, Essex, was cleared of perverting the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the NI archive days before she was arrested in 2011.
NI head of security Mark Hanna, 51, was cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.NI head of security Mark Hanna, 51, was cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.
The prosecution had alleged that because of the sheer scale of phone hacking at the NotW, Brooks, Coulson and Kuttner must have known what was going on while they were in charge.
The jury will resume deliberations from 11am today.The jury will resume deliberations from 11am today.