LONDON, (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron’s former media chief Andy Coulson was jailed for 18 months yesterday for being complicit in widespread phone-hacking by journalists to obtain scoops at the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid he edited.
Coulson, editor of the now defunct News of the World newspaper from 2003-2007, was convicted last week of conspiracy to intercept voicemails on mobile phones following a high-profile eight-month trial at London’s Old Bailey court.
The prime minister, who has apologised for having hired Coulson, said of the sentence: “What this says is that it’s right that justice should be done and that no one is above the law.”
Opposition leader Ed Miliband has criticised Cameron for bringing a “criminal into the heart of Downing Street”.
The maximum sentence the 46-year-old could have faced was two years but the judge said he had taken into account Coulson’s good character. He showed no reaction as the sentence was read out in a packed Court 12 at the Old Bailey.
“Mr Coulson on the jury’s verdict has to take the major blame for the phone hacking at the News of the World,” judge John Saunders said. “He knew about it and encouraged it when he should have stopped it.”