After 130 days, hacking trial jury retires to consider charges against Brooks, Coulson, Kuttner and others

The jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of ex-News of the World bosses accused of plotting to hack phones in the pursuit of stories.

Ex-editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson along with retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner are accused of being part of the conspiracy dating back to 2000 and spanning six years.

Over 130 days, the eight women and three men of the jury have listened to the evidence in Court 12 of the Old Bailey in what has been described as the trial of the century.

Ex-No 10 spin doctor Coulson, 46, is also accused of two counts of conspiring with former NoW royal editor Clive Goodman, 56, to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.

Brooks, also 46, faces the same charge over signing off payments to a Sun journalist's military contact between 2004 and 2012.

The ex-News International (NI) chief executive is also accused of plotting with her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 50, to pervert the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the company archive just days before she was arrested in 2011.

Brooks, along with her husband Charlie and NI director of security Mark Hanna, 51, is further charged with perverting the course of justice by hiding potential evidence from police in July 2011.

Coulson, of Charing, Kent, the Brooks, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, Hanna of Buckingham, Carter of Chelmsford, Essex, Goodman of Addlestone, Surrey, and 74-year-old Kuttner, of Woodford Green, Essex, deny the charges against them.

Justice Saunders sent the jury out at 3.34pm.

Before he asked them to retire, he told the 11 jurors: "What you have to do is act according to your oath.

"You have to reach true verdicts according to the evidence. That evidence you have heard in court. Put out of your head anything you have heard outside court."

He added: "On behalf of all of us, I think it has been a privilege to work with all of you."

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