Earlier we reported that Rebekah Brooks, the ex-News of the World editor, and her husband, Charlie Brooks, had been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Another four people have also been charged. Rebekah and her husband have come out fighting however, and have called the charges “weak and unjust”.

Perverting the course of justice – in this case concealing evidence from police officers – is an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in the UK.

Those now officially charged include Brooks, Brooks’ husband Charlie Brooks, a racehorse trainer; Brooks’ former personal assistant Cheryl Carter; the ex-head of security at News International Mark Hanna; Brooks’ ex-chauffeur Paul Edwards; and Daryl Jorsling, a member of the firm’s security staff.

The charges are specific, and all six were charged with conspiring “with persons unknown to conceal material from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service,” between July 6 and July 19, 2011. Only Carter wasn’t charged with “conceal[ing] documents, computers and other electronic equipment from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service,” between July 15 and 19, 2011.

Rebekah and Charlie issued an initial statement via an AFP spokesperson:

We have this morning been informed by the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions that we are to be charged with perverting the course of justice. We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) we will respond later today after our return from the police station.

Rebekah Brooks and Carter were also charged with conspiring to remove seven boxes of material from the archives of the News International offices.

The senior prosecutor, Alison Levitt, seemed to disagree, and said that there was “sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction” in the six cases.

A seventh person arrested had been released without charge.

[Source: AP]