News International boss Rebekah Brooks 'appalled' by Milly Dowler claim

[oldironside]

"News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks said today she was "appalled and shocked" by allegations that a private investigator working for the News of the World hacked into schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she went missing.

Ms Brooks, who was editor of the paper at the time, said it was "inconceivable that I knew or worse, sanctioned these appalling allegations". "

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/news-international--boss-rebekah-brooks-appalled-by-milly-dowler-claim-2307233.html

Two points I'd like to make.

1. With reference to her being appalled, I simply don't believe her.

2. With reference to her claim to have had nothing to do with it, I simply don't believe her.

Let's just hope it comes to court, and we'll see if the rest of the country agrees with me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Just as 'inconceivable' as the editor knowing about hacking the Soham families' voicemail

Family members of the two Soham girls murdered by school caretaker Ian Huntley may have had their phone messages hacked by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire on the instructions of News of the World, an MP suggested yesterday.
...
The new twist in the phone-hacking scandal came during an appearance before MPs by Acting Deputy Commissioner John Yates, who was seeking to rebut "serious allegations" that he and the Metropolitan Police had failed to fully investigate Mr Mulcaire and the NOTW prior to the launch of a new criminal inquiry in January this year. Pressing Mr Yates on the new investigation, Mr Watson said: "If it transpires from the review of the Mulcaire evidence that... Mulcaire was instructed to hack the phones of family members of the children that were killed at Soham, would that warrant an adequate use of police resources to investigate?"

Mr Yates, who is not involved in the new inquiry, told the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that he was unaware of the claims about the Soham families but said he would expect any suggestion they appeared in Mr Mulcaire's files to be investigated. A spokeswoman for News International said last night: "We are not aware of any evidence to support this allegation."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/were-phones-of-soham-families-hacked-mp-makes-shocking-claim-2252466.html

Oh yes, that was her too. Never mind, Private Eye thinks she'll use the excuse of going on maternity leave soon, so she won't have to face people inconveniently bringing up her mind-boggling dishonesty and lack of shame every time they meet her.

[oldironside]

2. It's all in the eyes.

Bin Laden had the same vacant look.

It's clear to me that News International attracts twisted personality types who have no sense of guilt. And we all know what psychologists call them.

[non sociopath skin]

3. In defence of the News International Head Honchos ...

... these were people who were forced to keep company with the likes of Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, David Cameron and George Osborne.

It must have had some sort of detrimental effect on them ...

:evilgrin:

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. I've just watched a News Intl spokesman do the best Iraqi Information Minister impression I've seen

trying to explain how the fearless NI leader Rebekah Brooks will hold anyone, including 2002 NotW editor Rebekah Wade, fully to account, but at the same time Rebekah Brooks' job was in no way on the line ... if the internal inquiry, which had previously determined that only one reporter was involved, decided it had to ask the leader of the enquiry, one Mrs. Rebekah Brooks, any questions, it would courageously do so with no bias whatsoever - because the pure Mrs. Brooks guaranteed it. After all, she has a spotless record. And NI has always called for anyone in charge to be held fully to account.

[fedsron2us]

5. I am beginning to lose count of the number of laws that have been broken here

Apart from phone tapping there is interfering with police enquiries and destroying possible evidence. If the law and the politicians bottle this case it will tell you that justice in the UK is beyond rescue. If that happens I dont see why the rest of us should give a fuck about obeying the law either. In particular all those who hackers who break into company and state IT systems will have every reason to think that the law is a complete hypocrite and fraud if charged with doing exactly the same thing. One thing is for surethe Private Investigator, Mulcaire, was not doing this as a hobby. He was being paid by people in NI to get this information and they are accessories who need to be prosecuted.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Don't forget bribing the police

Ms. Wade admitted to a Commons Select Committee that was company policy, back in 2003*. It's a pure coincidence, of course, that the police have never publicly uncovered any wrongdoing by NI, and have always had to be pushed into any investigation by outside bodies. There's no question whatsoever that the police and politicians are being bribed and/or bullied by NI into performing a complete whitewash. You can always trust the British Bobby - I know, I read it in a newspaper.

*As a pure formality, an NI spokeswoman later clarified that by putting a 'not' after the 'was'. I'm sure Wade just misspoke.

[oldironside]

7. One can only hope...

... that the links to such emotive cases as Milly Dowler and the Soham murders will finally push the Plod (or see them pushed) into doing their bloody jobs.

As for the politicians, I remember posting the question in this very forum as to who exactly runs the UK: the government or Murdoch. It's more than time for them to stand up and be counted. They may have to preface their interventions with confessions.
"Before I begin I would like to take the wind out of the NOW's sails by publicly confirming I fellated a panda in London zoo on several occasions in the late 1990's. Now, as for this phone hacking thing..."



(Edited for a crass spelling error)

[LeftishBrit]

8. As I've said several times...

I am sick of these unelected, unaccountable, and all too often lawless press parons having so much power in this country!

[non sociopath skin]

9. Haven't been following the news as avidly as usual ...

... as I'm dealing with a serious family crisis.

However, I've been reading the headlines with increasing incredulity and am now taking the precaution of having a sick bucket next to my PC at all times.

HOW DARE these obnoxious people do these things? And HOW DARE this obnoxious government give them everything they want because they're afraid of them?

I agree with the comments above. I's high time someone stood up to these assholes once and for all.

Rather than awarding them a monopoly of media, the government should be riding Murdoch and Wade out town on a rail!

The Skin

[oldironside]

11. Of course...

... we used to have a far better punishment for scum like this.



Pass the rotten veg!

Or we did away with them.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Well, we thought we did away with them

You try and throw the Murdochs of the world to the other side of it, and yet they come swinging back - just like other things from Australia ...

[oldironside]

13. True...

... but if we decide to send the source of our trouble out there this time, we won't need a fleet. A single set of manacles in the hold of a Qantas A380 would do.



"My idea of heaven is to be put in manacles. Just for a few hours."

[fedsron2us]

10. Big boys did it and then ran away

These pathetic and laughable excuses would shame a primary school child.

According to this article in the Independent Brooks had a very close link to what was going on in the wake of the Dowler murder.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/revealed-brooksrsquo-past-link-with-milly-private-detective-2307517.html

At the very least she is an accessory after the fact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessory_%28legal_term%29

I suspect that she has violated section 8 of the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861 (as amended by s.65(4) Criminal Law Act 1977)

Whosoever shall aid, abet, counsel, or procure the commission of any indictable offence, whether the same be an offence at common law or by virtue of any Act passed or to be passed, shall be liable to be tried, indicted, and punished as a principal offender.

[oldironside]

14. There is no doubt ...

that she has a case to answer. Whether the legal process will actually creak into action is still doubtful IMHO. We can but live in hope.

Incidentally, I read your second link as "Accessories and Abattoirs Act 1861". Wishful thinking, eh? :evilgrin:

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Steve Bell: 'Inconceivable'

[oldironside]

16. LOL!

Steve Bell is a savage genius. Lovely stuff.