Cloth Fair and Matrix lead defence as Brooks and Coulson face hacking charges
Cloth Fair Chambers’ John Kelsey-Fry QC and Matrix Chambers’ Clare Montgomery QC lined up as defence counsel at the Old Bailey today as Rebekah Brooks and a host of others associated with defunct tabloid News of the World (NoW) and the phone-hacking scandal discovered they would not face court for another year.
Andy Coulson
A statement from the Judicial Press Office described how Brooks and 13 others appeared in front of Mr Justice Fulford at the Central Criminal Court today (26 September), with Fulford J giving directions for the management of cases concerning phone hacking and perverting the course of justice.
A proposed trial date was set for 9 September 2013 and all defendants have now been bailed.
Former News International chief executive Brooks, former NoW political editor and Prime Minister David Cameron’s communications director Andy Coulson and six others faced charges of conspiring to hack phones. Brooks is also facing three charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Rebekah Brooks
Others facing phone-hacking-related charges are former NoW managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former news head Ian Edmondson, former reporter James Weatherup and former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck. Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire is also facing phone-hacking-related charges.
Brooks is being represented by Kelsey-Fry QC, instructed by Kingsley Napley partners Stephen Parkinson and Angus McBride. Coulson is being advised by Montgomery QC, instructed by DLA Piper partner Jo Rickards.
Mulcaire is being represented by Three Raymond Buildings’ James Hines, instructed by Russell Jones & Walker partner Rod Fletcher.
Henri Brandman of Henri Brandman & Co is advising Thurlbeck, Miskiw and Brooks’s former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, who is facing one charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice along with Brooks’s husband Charlie and ex-chauffer Paul Edwards. Brandman has instructed Three Raymond Buildings’ Hugh Davies, Patrick Hill and Trevor Burke QC to represent Thurlbeck, Miskiw and Carter, respectively.
Kuttner was represented by Five Paper Buildings’ Nicholas Griffin QC, who was instructed by Simons Muirhead Burton partner Anthony Burton. Weatherup was represented by Charles Bott QC of Carmelite Chambers, instructed by Guney Clark & Ryan partner Sean Curran.
