Rebecca Brooks & Charlie Brooks

[Hunters]

Does anyone think that there will be less 'pats on the back' from certain Horsey publications now that both Rebecca and Charlie Brooks have been arrested today?

 

[marmalade76]

Ooo-errr, what have they been arrested for??

 

[CorvusCorax]

They have not been charged with anything yet....

 

[Hunters]

Not going to be a tricky one.

Either she was 'inefficient' (at best) and knew little about what went on or she did know exactly what went on and furthermore sanctioned matters.

Simple "Would you have a 'stupid inefficient lady' run a newspaper or would you have a sharp minded one?"

I know what I think.

 

[minesadouble]

Don't quote me but I think suspicion of perverting the course of justice was mentioned on the racing today as the reason for questioning.

 

[marmalade76]

Rather amusing that they've chosen today to arrest them

 

[JanetGeorge]

It's a bit silly - one minute the suggestion is that RB had a 'special relationship' with the police because she had a retired police horse on loan (which David Cameron allegedly hacked out - gee - you HAVE to be 'close' to hack out with someone, don't you!) and now she AND Charlie are being arrested in 'dawn raids'! Aaaggghhhh!

At least they were bailed swiftly so they don't miss Cheltenham!

Either she was 'inefficient' (at best) and knew little about what went on or she did know exactly what went on and furthermore sanctioned matters.

I think it's unlikely that a senior editor knows ALL the details of how reporters get stories - although they certainly should enquire about the veracity of stories they are going to publish. But reporters tend to rely a LOT on 'personal informants' - and they normally keep details of such informants very confidential. I don't think not knowing that the source was a 'phone tap rather than a personal informant would prove inefficiency. A newspaper like 'screws of the world' relies VERY heavily on 'off the record' and 'non-attributable' sources!

Time will tellif the police actually have evidence to justify these arrests - or whether they are just on fishing trips!

 

[Alec Swan]

.......
I think it's unlikely that a senior editor knows ALL the details of how reporters get stories - although they certainly should enquire about the veracity of stories they are going to publish. .............

Would you honestly believe, that who ever sanctioned the substantial payments as bribes, didn't check with the senior editor first? Would you also believe that the senior editor, upon reading the journal, which she edits, didn't question where the information came from which she was responsible for publishing? Were I an editor, and responsible, I'd make it my business to know. What ever Ms Brooks may be, stupid she isn't.

Alec.

 

[Booboos]

Would you honestly believe, that who ever sanctioned the substantial payments as bribes, didn't check with the senior editor first? Would you also believe that the senior editor, upon reading the journal, which she edits, didn't question where the information came from which she was responsible for publishing? Were I an editor, and responsible, I'd make it my business to know. What ever Ms Brooks may be, stupid she isn't.

Alec.

To be fair it was a large newspaper and she had a lot of balls to keep in the air what with making sure she was making friends with the police, keeping politicians under control and being the daughter Murdoch never had...it also takes much longer to look after curly hair than straight hair so she was bound to be running late in the mornings when everyone else had the "let's hack into people's private phone conversations" meetings.

 

[Hunters]

Naive Editors - according to Janet George......?

The Brooks' were not arrested for going for a hack with Cameron, but for sanctioning the phone hacking of murdered victim Millie Dowler, 7/11 victims etc...

Take it from one who knows, Editors DO know what goes on.

 

[quirky]

Glad to see that Ms Brooks has finally resigned as a school governor.

I went to see the school as a potential school for my child and questioned the head as to her suitability as a governor in light of the Milly Dowler case in particularly.

Personally, I don't see how she can't know what was going on.

 

[Hunters]

Personally, I was very surprised to see Horse & Hound congratulate her in writing on the birth of her child. Not such bad taste had she actually given birth herself, but a surrogate had a baby for her..

Hope it wasn't one editor keeping in with another....oops!

 

[anuvb]

I think it's unlikely that a senior editor knows ALL the details of how reporters get stories - although they certainly should enquire about the veracity of stories they are going to publish. But reporters tend to rely a LOT on 'personal informants' - and they normally keep details of such informants very confidential. I don't think not knowing that the source was a 'phone tap rather than a personal informant would prove inefficiency. A newspaper like 'screws of the world' relies VERY heavily on 'off the record' and 'non-attributable' sources!

Time will tellif the police actually have evidence to justify these arrests - or whether they are just on fishing trips!

Personally I think the whole Met Police Horse story was silly, and only served to trivialise what is quite an important story. I can't really comment on CB as I don't know enough about his role in the whole affair, although I find it hard to believe he didn't know anything at all as surely as husband and wife they talk to each other???? But then no one knows what goes on in a marriage I guess.

What I do know is that RB is/was hugely influential in the media - arguably one of the most powerful females in the business. Whether or not she knew at the time is a bit of a moot point - she was at the top of her game and therefore the responsbility lies with her & her cronies. At some point throughout the whole saga she did know what was going on and has been one of the group responsible for covering it up. The only thing this whole debacle serves to highlight is the level of nepotism in politics, the Police and the media that goes on. Look after your own!!! If the Police are fishing I certainly hope they find something. No one involved should emerge unscathed (including the Met) as quite frankly it's a sad indictment of what we as a nation will/are prepared to tolerate.

 

[Fellewell]

To be fair it was a large newspaper and she had a lot of balls to keep in the air what with making sure she was making friends with the police, keeping politicians under control and being the daughter Murdoch never had...it also takes much longer to look after curly hair than straight hair so she was bound to be running late in the mornings when everyone else had the "let's hack into people's private phone conversations" meetings.

Excellent!! You could be her defence counsel

 

[Hunters]

'Private Eye' last week was potentially a bit closer to the truth, their front cover had a photo of Rebecca Brooks & David Cameron enjoying a drink together. The caption read:

David Cameron: "I have been taken for a ride"

Brooks replies: "You and the whole country"...

 

[Alec Swan]

Anyone fancy joining me, in sending the Ms Brooks a card, by way of commiseration?

HMP Holloway should do, though I don't suppose that we'll be that lucky.

Alec.

 

[Booboos]

Excellent!! You could be her defence counsel

For an unreasonable fee I would be more than happy to!

 

[Puppy]

To be fair it was a large newspaper and she had a lot of balls to keep in the air what with making sure she was making friends with the police, keeping politicians under control and being the daughter Murdoch never had...it also takes much longer to look after curly hair than straight hair so she was bound to be running late in the mornings when everyone else had the "let's hack into people's private phone conversations" meetings.

LOL!

 

[connieconvert]

The police horse could have been a 'plant' and reported back on conversations about hacking whilst hacking..........

 

[Fellewell]

'Private Eye' last week was potentially a bit closer to the truth, their front cover had a photo of Rebecca Brooks & David Cameron enjoying a drink together. The caption read:

David Cameron: "I have been taken for a ride"

Brooks replies: "You and the whole country"...

I must admit the 'Clarification of the previous clarification of the initial clarification' on page 19 gave me some food for thought

 

[Fellewell]

For an unreasonable fee I would be more than happy to!

You'd deserve it too, though the case would be open-and-shut I'd say, so you might not need to do too much

 

[SusannaF]

If RB didn't have a clue what was going on, why was her husband binning laptops and iPads in the middle of the night?

 

[dsportuk]

As someone that has worked for the national press (and regional) to think that she had no knowledge of what was going on is either very naive or related to her!
Proving it will be the tricky thing, but for all of the public money wasted (sorry invested) in this on going farce then the prosecution needs results..no fall guys, this needs to be dealt with at the highest level...the murdochs will wriggle their way out but RB has to be next in the firing line and in my opinion rightly so!

 

[SusannaF]

I think the public money is only wasted if we emerge from this with no tighter legislation/codes of conduct. At least the PCC has been axed already. Timber!

 

[equischool]

I wonder why the police that have been involved in this farce are not also being arrested?

 

[Hunters]

Perhaps Mr Brooks will have to return to his former job of running a mail order sex-toy company.

They seem well matched as a couple.

 

[dunkley]

RB was Captain of the ship that was the News of the Screws. As such, the buck stopped with her. It was her business to know what was going on, and if she didn't have her finger on the proverbial pulse, she wasn't earning the exorbitant salary she was no doubt paid.

The police do not need 'evidence' per se to arrest someone for an offence - they need 'reasonable suspicion' that the offence has been committed, and the person in custody committed it. Evidence is gathered by means of questioning and interviewing of the suspects, and witnesses. Whether there is sufficient evidence to charge either, or both, of them will become apparent later, when they answer their bail.

 

[Hurry Up]

Personally, I was very surprised to see Horse & Hound congratulate her in writing on the birth of her child. Not such bad taste had she actually given birth herself, but a surrogate had a baby for her..

Hope it wasn't one editor keeping in with another....oops!

They are very similar editors. I wrote to the editor of H and H to complain about the contents of an article (Graham Fletcher's comments about the French strikers and world war II - published in H and H on Armistice day). The response? - He was only Joking. I am a very busy person and do not have time to check everything that goes into Horse and Hound each week.

Probably out to lunch with mrs Brooks.

 

[Hunters]

Sadly there's very little accountability any more, and that's the way it is.


I was dismayed to see Horse and Hound congratulate her but not surprised