Brooks And Coulson Face Charges

Former chief executive of the News of the World, Rebekah Brooks, and the Prime Minister's former director of communications, Andy Coulson, will be charged in connection with payments to police and public officials, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced today.

Journalists Clive Goodman, John Kay Bettina Jorden-Barber have also been charged, according to the CPS.

The CPS also announced that Rebekah Brooks was to face charges related to the illegal payment to public officials for information following her time at The Sun.

Alison Levitt, QC, Principal Legal Advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions said: "We have concluded, following a careful review of the evidence, that Bettina Jordan-Barber, John Kay and Rebekah Brooks should be charged with a conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office between 1 January 2004 and 31 January 2012. This conspiracy relates to information allegedly provided by Bettina Jordan-Barber for payment, which formed the basis of a series of news stories published by The Sun. It is alleged that approximately £100,000 was paid to Bettina Jordan-Barber between 2004 and 2011.

"All of these matters were considered carefully in accordance with the DPP's guidelines on the public interest in cases affecting the media. This guidance asks prosecutors to consider whether the public interest served by the conduct in question outweighs the overall criminality before bringing criminal proceedings.

"Following charge, these individuals will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on a date to be determined."