Phone-hacking trial: Jury fail to reach verdict on final charge, trial resumes tommorrow

Just after 5.45pm the 11 remaining members of the jury at the trial of Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson told the court they had failed to reach a verdict on a charge that former News of the World editor Coulson conspired with the newspaper's then Royal editor Clive Goodman to commit misconduct in a public office. Coulson, now sitting alone in the large glass-fronted dock, remained expressionless as the presiding judge, Mr Justice Saunders, dismissed the jury for the night.

Guilty: Andy Coulson arrives at court this morning

Despite the verdict, Coulson, who rose from being a showbusiness reporter to editor of Britain's biggest selling newspaper, now faces a prison sentence for conspiring with others to illegally intercept voicemails. The conviction of the former government communications director has already raised a political storm and led to an unprecedented apology from the Prime Minister David Cameron who said in a brief statement: "I'm extremely sorry I employed him, it was the wrong decision." However, Ed Milliband, the leader of the opposition, rejected the apology saying: "I think David Cameron has very very serious questions to answer because we now know he brought a criminal into the heart of Downing Street," adding: "we now know he put his relationship with Rupert Murdoch ahead of doing the right thing".