06 July 2011

Did NOTW sink even lower?

If you thought that the News of the World had plumbed the very depths by (allegedly) hacking the voice mail account of murdered teenager Milly Dowler then think again.


New allegations have emerged indicating that the News of the World hacked phones belonging to family members of people murdered on 7/7.

According to the Telegraph (and just about every single paper in the Western world bar the NOTW's sister paper the Sun) detectives investigating the phone hacking scandal are in the process of contacting a number” of the bereaved families whose names or phone numbers have appeared as part of ongoing police inquiries

It is thought that journalists were seeking to access voice messages left on family members’ phones as they desperately waited for information about their loved ones in the aftermath of the bombings in 2005.

Clifford Tibber, solicitor for a number of the families, said: “This will cause heartache for all the families involved. The anniversary is such an emotional moment for everybody who was caught up in the bombings and many of them still struggle at this time of year.”

Not only this but it seems that the parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman (two children murdered in Soham, Cambridgeshire in 2002) by have been warned by detectives that their mobile phone voicemails may have been intercepted by a private detective working on behalf of the News of the World.

Scotland Yard was understood to have contacted the parents of the two young girls murdered by Ian Huntley finding mobile telephone numbers belonging to family members in files seized from Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator working for the Sunday newspaper.

If these allegations are true then the NOTW has hit yet another new low,


The allegations of hacking in respect of the Soham and Milly Dowler related to the editorship of Rebekah Wade who is now managing director of News International (the parent company for Murdoch’s empire in Britain). Although she has denied any knowledge I find it inconceivable that she was totally unaware that news items were being garnered using illegal sources. It may have been a case that she urged staff to use whatever means possible to get stories but that she did not want to know how (wink, wink). If she had any knowledge at all of these activities then she should stand trial for her acts.

However, even if she didn't she, as editor, was responsible for the actions of her staff and should resign from News International forthwith as it is clear that she is utterly incapable of effective management.

7/7 happened while her successor Andy Coulson was editor. Coulson, a revolting Essex spiv (NB I am from Essex – I was born in Romford before it became part of Greater London) resigned from his post in 2007 after Private Investigator Glenn Mulcaire and royal editor Clive Goodman were imprisoned for hacking voicemails left for members of the royal household.. Likewise I find it inconceivable that he was totally ignorant of such ativities.

To make things more embarrassing he was almost immediately appointed as Press Secretary to David Cameron, a post he retained after Cameron became Prime Minister. Coulson resigned in January following a tide of allegations of hacking relating to politicians and celebrities. Still one must question Cameron’s judgement if he were to give this man a job with a huge salary paid by the taxpayer.

Ah well both Brooks and Coulson loved to delve in shit, It does the heart good to see them getting covered in it.

1 comment:

jams o donnell said...

That's true. Better still I look forward to seeing these two pieces of human waste in the dock.