Jury mulls verdicts at UK phone hacking trial

LONDON (AP) — The jury at Britain’s phone hacking trial has retired to consider verdicts against seven defendants charged with wrongdoing at Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloids.

The panel of eight women and three men will decide whether to convict or acquit ex-News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, and five others.

The trial began in October and ran for 130 days. It was spawned by revelations that the tabloid had eavesdropped on the voicemails of celebrities, politicians and others.

Judge John Saunders told jurors Wednesday they could take as long as they needed to reach verdicts.

All seven defendants deny the charges, which include phone hacking, paying officials for information and obstructing a police investigation.

The phone hacking scandal led Murdoch to shut down the 168-year-old tabloid in 2011.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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