‘Tony Blair helped Murdoch empire in hacking of dead schoolgirl’s phone scandal’

This video from Britain says about itself:

PHONE HACKING: ‘We thought Milly Dowler was alive’

21 Nov 2011

Bob and Sally Dowler tell the Leveson Inquiry that journalists at the News of the World gave them false hope after their daughter went missing. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin.

From daily The Guardian in Britain:

Tony Blair ‘offered Rebekah Brooks help’ day after Milly Dowler revelations

Phone-hacking trial hears ex-PM emailed ‘thinking of you’, with Michael Gove and Piers Morgan also offering their support

Lisa O’Carroll

Tuesday 4 March 2014 12.21 GMT

Tony Blair contacted Rebekah Brooks the day after it was revealed Milly Dowler’s phone had been hacked offering to help her get through the mounting crisis, the Old Bailey has heard.

The former prime minister emailed her on 5 July 2011 saying: “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Thinking of you.”

His contact was made as the crisis threatening to engulf News International had taken what Brooks described as a “horrific” twist when the Guardian reported that the missing Surrey schoolgirl’s phone had been hacked by the News of the World and her voicemails had been deleted giving her parents “false hope” that she was still alive.

Blair continued in his email: “I have been through things like this.”

Brooks replied to Blair: “Thank you. I know what it is like. GB pals getting their own back.” She explained to the court that GB was Gordon Brown. Her text continued: “Rupert and James [Murdoch] have been brilliant. Hopefully in this climate the truth will out.”

Blair was one of a number of high profile people including education secretary Michael Gove and CNN presenter Piers Morgan who texted Brooks after the Guardian story to offer their support.

…

Brooks described Morgan as an “avid twitterer … twit” before her counsel, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, intervened to say the correct adjective was “tweeter”.

Giving evidence for the eighth day in the hacking trial, Brooks was taken through a number of texts and email exchanges that her defence counsel produced.

She told the court she was at a fertility clinic in London with her cousin, who had agreed to be a surrogate mother for her baby, when she was alerted to the Guardian online story via an email from the News International head of corporate affairs, Simon Greenberg.

…

The former News International chief executive said she considered resigning that day but was persuaded by Rupert Murdoch not to do anything until he arrived in London.

…

Brooks revealed that Gove texted her to cancel a meeting with her that week, noting that it was “hardly a calm moment in the life of the nation”. But he added that his wife Sarah and he were “very keen to catch up”.

…

The trial continues.

Hacking trial: Tony Blair wrote to Rebekah Brooks offering help over revelations that the NOTW had accessed murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s mobile phone, court told: here.

Ex-policeman who leaked Milly Dowler information to the Sun is jailed. Simon Quinn made £7,000 from tips over a decade while he worked as a detective constable at Surrey police: here.

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