After being cleared this week of all charges related to phone hacking, Rebekah Brooks made her first public comments on the trial:
Of course the last few years have been tough for both of us and for those closest to us, but more importantly they’ve been tough for everybody on all sides that have been affected by the issues highlighted by this case. And therefore throughout the three-year police investigation and through our eight-month trial at the Old Bailey, we’ve always tried to keep our troubles in perspective. I mean, after all we have a happy and healthy daughter, we have our brave and resolute mums that have been at court most of the time and we’ve had strong and unwavering support from all our friends, our family and from our legal teams that have believed in us from the beginning.
“I am innocent of the crimes that I was charged with and I feel vindicated by the unanimous verdicts. When I was arrested, it was in the middle of a maelstrom of controversy, of politics and of comment. Some of that was fair, but much of it was not so I am grateful for the jury – very grateful for the jury for coming to their decision.
“I think I’d like to say it’s been a time of reflection for me. I’ve learnt some valuable lessons and hopefully I’m the wiser for it…
“I’m incredibly proud of the many journalists I’ve worked with throughout my career and the great campaigns that we have fought and won… All I can say to you all is that today my thoughts are with my former colleagues and their families who face future trials. I’m going to do everything I can to support them as I know how anxious the times ahead are.”
Charlie Brooks, her husband, added:
Thank you all for coming. In the last 48 hours, I’ve had to focus on being a racehorse trainer, but actually I have very little to add to what we both said over two years ago when we were charged. Everything – absolutely everything – we said two years ago has proved to be true. Rebekah has been through an unprecedented investigation of an incredibly forensic and personal nature, the likes of which we have probably never seen and I would just like to say how proud I am of Rebekah and of the dignity she has shown.”
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