Phone-hacking trial reveals Brooks and Coulson had six-year affair

The phone-hacking trial revealed that former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson had a six-year affair from the late 1990s.

14:23 01 November 2013

The phone-hacking trial has revealed that former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson had an affair that started around 1998.

This was discovered when a police found a letter in Mrs Brooks’ computer. The issue was raised by prosecutor Andrew Edis QC to prove how much the duo trusted each other. He said: "What Mr Coulson knew, Mrs Brooks knew too. What Mrs Brooks knew, Mr Coulson knew too. That's the point."

He added: “Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson are charged with conspiracy and, when people are charged with conspiracy, the first question a jury has to answer is how well did they know each other? How much did they trust each other?”

Both Brooks and Coulson denied charges including conspiracy to phone hack.

The letter was written by Mrs Brooks in February 2004. It read: "The fact is you are my very best friend, I tell you everything, I confide in you, I seek your advice, I love you, care about you, worry about you, we laugh and cry together.

"In fact without our relationship in my life, I am not sure I will cope."