Phone-hacking trial: Rebekah Brooks did not see Milly Dowler 'voicemail story', counsel suggests
- Milly Dowler "voicemail story" only in first two editions of News of the World
- Brooks only saw third edition, counsel suggests
- Never shown Kuttner email, defendant says
When the jury returned after the lunch break, former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks continued her evidence in chief at the Old Bailey's court 12. Her defence counsel, Jonathan Laidlaw QC continued to show the court a large folder of documents related to the paper's coverage of the story of Milly Dowler, a Surrey teenager who disappeared in March 2002. Brooks was asked why one list had the story names as "Milly Murder". "I don't know," Brooks replied.
Rebekah Brooks and former boss Rupert Murdoch
The witness was asked about her earlier testimony that she had been "steered" to an understanding that Dowler's disappearance was not related to a "predatory paedophile". Brooks could not say exactly when this happened but the paper had been given a letter, "presumably by police", implying this. The "steer wouldn't be written about in the paper," the witness explained, giving an example of another murder where the man giving an appeal for information was known by other reporters to be the prime suspect. Brooks said: "If I thought this was a Sarah's Law situation I wouldn't have gone on holiday," adding of the "steer": " "It could have been that she had just run away or that it was closer to home, I just can't remember."
Brooks was asked about her holiday which began on 7 April 2002. "Ross [Kemp] liked Dubai," she said, and that they had visited the city-state a few times before. Brooks was asked about two previous witnesses, William Hennesey and Dean Keyworth, who testified that they had met Brooks in Dubai that week. Keyworth was am "old school friend of Andy's," she said. The witness said they had met that weekend but said Keyworth's statement that she had been on the phone for 60 per cent of the time they were together "sounded a bit high". Laidlaw asked the witness about Hennesey's testimony that she had told him she had to call someone about a "missing Surrey schoolgirl". Brooks said she could not recall that happening but did not think she would discuss the case in that form rather than use the person involved's name. "It's unlikely," the witness said.
Brooks was then shown her telephone records from while she was on holiday which show a number of calls from her mobile to the editor's desk at the News of the World. The witness agreed she had made the calls but could not recall the specifics of what was discussed. "It is what is is," Brooks told the court, adding that her PA, Cheryl Carter, would be likely to be picking up that phone rather than acting editor Andy Coulson. On the number of calls, Brooks told the jury "it doesn't seem so unusual" and "they could have been about anything". The witness said she could get updates on any issues but the technology in 2002 did not allow her to be involved in the "construction of the paper". "I may have been just balancing the paper, not looking at individual articles, it could have been anything."
Brooks was then asked what she would have done if a reporter had informed her that they had a lead on where Milly Dowler was. "I'd tell them to tell the police," Brooks replied, "that would have been the right thing to do." She continued: "We would not be thinking of holding on to it for a story, if that's what your asking."
The witness was then shown the three editions of the News of the World produced on 14 April. The first contains an article that quotes directly from a message left on Milly Dowler's voicemail from a recruitment agency in Telford as does the second edition. The "main selling edition" is the third, and in this one, as the court has already heard, the Milly Dowler story has been moved to a different page and altered to omit the voicemail quotes. Brooks was asked if she was involved in making any of these changes. "No, I don't think so," the witness replied.
Brooks told the court she returned to the UK on Monday 15 April and went back to work on the Tuesday. The witness was asked what edition of the News of the World she would have seen on her return. The former editor told the court that her diary showed she had a "think tank" arranged for the Tuesday where senior staff would leave the office, meet readers and brainstorm ideas. Brooks told the court she had the News of the World delivered and she lived in central London and it would have been the third edition of the newspaper that she would have seen. This final version of the paper, Brooks told the court, was the "showcase edition" that was distributed in the large urban areas.
The witness was then asked about an email sent by News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner to Surrey police which discusses the fact the newspaper had possession of Milly Dowler's voicemails. Asked by her counsel, Brooks told the court that she had never seen the email or had its contents drawn to her attention. On the £50,000 cash reward for information offered in the email, the witness told the court the police used rewards "cleverly" and if they thought they already knew what happened they would not agree to one as it would waste resources in creating false leads. This changed by May, Brooks recalled, and the Sun and News of the World offered a joint reward for information leading to an arrest. Jonathan Laidlaw QC told the jury that, tragically Milly Dowler's body was found in September 2002.
Court then ended for the day.
All of the defendants deny all of the charges, the trial continues,