Rebekah Brooks, one of the most powerful newspaper executives in Britain, her husband, and four others were charged Tuesday in connection with the ongoing tabloid phone hacking scandal that has made headlines around the world.
Brooks faces three charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. While it is rare, the charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The former News of the World editor stepped down from her post as chief executive of News International last July as the scandal broadened.
Rupert Murdoch made the decision to shutter the tabloid on July 7, amid an outcry from a British public sickened by revelations that the paper's employees had hacked the cellphone of a missing schoolgirl who was later found dead.
The charges announced Tuesday related to alleged offences that occurred between July 6 and July 19.
Also facing charges of obstruction of justice are Brooks' husband Charlie Brooks, a racehorse trainer; her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter; the former head of security at News International Mark Hanna; Brooks' ex-chauffeur Paul Edwards; and Daryl Jorsling, a member of the company's security staff.
Of the charges against Rebekah Brooks:
- one is based on allegations Brooks worked with "unknown persons" to conceal information from police
- another alleges Brooks conspired to remove seven boxes of material from the archives of News International
- the third alleges she conspired with unknown persons to conceal documents, computers and other electronic equipment from police
The charges are the first to come from a new police inquiry into tabloid phone hacking that began in January 2011.
Alison Levitt, legal advisor to Britain's Director of Public Prosecutions, said Tuesday that a seventh person, also a member of the News International security staff, will not face charges.
"All these matters relate to the ongoing police investigation into allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers," Levitt said.
In a joint statement, Brooks and her husband decried the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to file the charge.
"We deplore this weak and unjust decision," the couple said. "After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station."
Carter's lawyer, Henri Bradman, issued a statement saying that his client "vigorously denies the commission" of any offences.
Brooks' fall from grace follows a 20-year career that saw her rise within Murdoch's News Corp. empire from an entry-level worker to chief executive.
CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy noted Tuesday that the charges "could hardly be laid against people who have a higher profile.
"Rebekah Brooks was probably the best known and certainly one of the most powerful newspaper executives in this country for several years," Kennedy told CTV News Channel.
Brooks remains out on bail on separate allegations of illegal eavesdropping. She also admitted last week at an inquiry into the scandal that she had a very close relationship with British Prime Minister David Cameron while she was an executive at News International, a friendship that included frequent text messaging.
In other developments Tuesday, police also announced that two people have been arrested in connection with a probe into whether tabloid reporters bribed public officials in an effort to get scoops.
Police arrested a 50-year-old employee of the Revenue and Customs department on allegations of misconduct in a public office, while a 43-year-old woman was arrested on charges of assisting misconduct in a public office and money laundering.
With files from The Associated Press
