London: Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks was acquitted of a charge of paying for a picture of Prince William in a bikini as she gave evidence for the first time in her phone hacking trial here on Thursday.
The former editor of Rupert Murdoch`s now-defunct News Of The World tabloid was cleared of one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office but still faces four other charges.
Brooks denied knowing anything about phone hacking while she was editor of News of the World.
When asked if hacking had ever been brought to her attention, Brooks replied: "No, not at all."
The 45-year-old acknowledged that private detectives were used at the News of the World but added: "It is common practice in Fleet Street."
The judge directed the jury to acquit her of an allegation that she authorised a Sun reporter to pay 4,000 pounds for a picture of Prince William dressed as a bikini-clad Bond girl at a fancy dress party at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
"Whether or not there is a case to answer is for me to decide on a matter of law. It is for you to bring in a verdict of not guilty on that count now," Justice Saunders told the jury at Old Bailey court.
The 45-year-old executive still faces two charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, one of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and one of conspiracy to hack voicemail messages, all of which she denies.
She told the court that News Of The World paid 250,000 pounds for an interview with Hollywood prostitute Divine Brown after she was caught performing oral sex on actor Hugh Grant. Brown was paid around 100,000 pounds and large sums were spent moving her and her family to a desert hideout to stop other papers from getting the story in 1995, she said.
Making an opening statement for Brooks, her lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw said the trial had only reached the half way point and still had a long way to go.
Laidlaw reminded the jury that Brooks was not "on trial for having worked for Rupert Murdoch`s company" or for being the editor of a tabloid.
She is one of seven defendants in the trial. All deny the various charges against them.
The prosecution closed its arguments yesterday, when it
emerged that former premier Tony Blair had offered unofficial advice to Brooks and the Murdochs at the height of the scandal.
In her own evidence, Brooks spoke of her early career in journalism, including work experience at the Warrington Guardian at the age of 14. She spoke at length about fierce competition between the news and features departments at News Of The World, as well as with other News International papers.
She said that on one occasion, her phone wires were cut by journalists from the news desk after her department ran a story about a judge that impressed the newspaper`s bosses. There was "probably a bit of old-school misogyny" towards her but competition between the two desks was "ingrained into the News Of The World`s history", she said.
On an emotional note, she said the idea of becoming a journalist "probably stemmed" from her grandmother, who wrote a poetry column for her local paper.
