Charlie Brooks (racehorse trainer) on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. They were charged with perverting the course of justice in May 2012. Charlie and Rebekah Brooks appeared in court at the Old Bailey on 26 September 2012. Rebekah Brooks faced three charges and Charlie Brooks one charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by concealing material from police officers. Their trial started in October 2013. In Brooks' own defence, his lawyer called him "foolish," "stupid" and "not academically gifted". One character witness, Sara Bradstock, told the court how he drank a pint of washing up liquid to get
Metropolitan Police role in the news media phone hacking scandal was Met commissioner from 2000 to 2005. He was credited with reopening communication between the Met and the news media, consciously cultivating relationships with them. In this, he was assisted by the Met's public affairs head, Dick Fedorcio. One senior officer reportedly said that Stevens was "a master of the media who hadn't appreciated the costs attached to close media relationships." After retiring, Stevens wrote a column for the "News of the World". In his autobiography, he stated that he had "worked hard to foster good relations with newspapers and had made himself 'available' to editors including Rebekah Brooks (then