Defiant Rebekah Brooks slams 'weak and unjust' move to prosecute her for perverting course of justice

Rebekah Brooks will face three charges of perverting the course of justice during the phone-hacking scandal, it was announced this morning. The former News International chief executive learned of her fate shortly before it was made public. Her husband racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks will also face two charges. In a strongly worded statement the couple criticised the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service. They said: "We have this morning been informed by the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions that we are to be charged with perverting the course of justice. "We deplore this weak and unjust decision. "After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station." Four other people including the 43-year-old’s former PA Cheryl Carter, News International’s former head of security Mark Hanna, the company’s chauffeur Paul Edwards and security consultant Daryl Jorsling will also charged with conspiracy. The news comes as Scotland Yard announced a 50-year-old male employee of HM Revenue and Customs and a 43-year-old woman were arrested today at their home in north west London as part of the investigation into corrupt payments to public officials. Today’s CPS announcement means Mrs Brooks and the others will be the first prosecutions since an extensive Metropolitan Police inquiry into phone hacking and corruption began in January last year. The decision will be hugely damaging both to Rupert Murdoch’s empire and to the Prime Minister. It comes just days after she revealed details of her close relationship David Cameron – a personal friend of her husband - while giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. During which she told how Mr Cameron had a habit of signing off texts "lots of love" to Mrs Brooks, and sent her a message urging her to "keep your head up" when she resigned over the phone-hacking scandal. Also facing charges alongside the 43-year-old are her former PA, Cheryl Carter, a News International chauffeur and two security consultants. Announcing the decision Alison Levitt, QC, Principal Legal Advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: "This statement is made in the interests of transparency and accountability to explain the decisions reached in respect of allegations that Rebekah Brooks conspired with her husband, Charles Brooks, and others to pervert the course of justice. "The Crown Prosecution Service received a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police Service on 27th March 2012 in relation to seven suspects: "All the evidence has now carefully been considered. "Applying the two-stage test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors I have concluded that in relation to all suspects except the seventh, there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction. "I then considered the second stage of the test, and I have concluded that a prosecution is required in the public interest in relation to each of the other six. "All seven suspects have this morning been informed of my decisions.” Outlining the charges she said that between July 6 and 19 last year Mrs Brooks conspired with her husband, Cheryl Carter, Mark Hanna, Paul Edwards, Daryl Jorsling and persons unknown to conceal material from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service. On the second charge Mrs Brooks and Ms Carter are accused of conspired together permanently to remove seven boxes of material from the archive of News International. And on the final charge she, her husband, Hanna, Edwards and Jorsling are to be charged with conspiring together and with persons unknown, between July 15 and 19 last year  to conceal documents, computers and other electronic equipment from the police. 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. Miss Levitt added: "Following charge, these individuals will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on a date to be determined. "No further action will be taken against the seventh suspect.” Mrs Brooks, a Warrington-born high-flyer in Rupert Murdoch's media empire, was one of the most high-profile figures in the newspaper industry before her resignation. She became News of the World editor in 2000 aged 31, landed the top job at The Sun in 2003 and was appointed chief executive of News International in 2009 before quitting in July 2011. Days later she was arrested over alleged phone-hacking and corruption offences. She was arrested again in March in connection with the separate allegation of perverting the course of justice, with her husband and four others. Mr Brooks, who has been a columnist for the Daily Telegraph as well as writing a novel entitled Citizen, met his wife at a party with Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Ms Carter, who was personal assistant for Mrs Brooks during 19 years of service before she left News International last summer, was arrested on January 6. The charges relate to one of five files - totalling at least 20 suspects - being considered by the director of public prosecutions. Speaking before today’s announcement Keir Starmer QC said he was facing "very difficult and sensitive decisions”.. Police launched Operation Weeting, the inquiry devoted specifically to phone hacking, after receiving "significant new information" from News International on January 26 last year. Operation Elveden was launched months later after officers were given documents suggesting News International journalists made illegal payments to police officers. Officers also launched three related operations: the Sasha inquiry into allegations of perverting the course of justice; Kilo, an inquiry into police leaks; and Tuleta, the investigation into computer-related offences, as the inquiry escalated. Metropolitan Police figures showed there were 829 potential victims of phone hacking, of whom 231 were said to be uncontactable. The scandal has already led to the closure of the News of the World after 168 years, prompted a major public inquiry, and forced the resignation of Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and his assistant John Yates. Tweet inShare