- The couple arrived amid a scrum of onlookers and members of the media
- Her former PA Cheryl Carter, ex-NI security chief Mark Hanna, Chauffeur Paul Edwards and security consultant Daryl Jorsling also appear
- All six were bailed until crown court trial begins on June 22
By Matt Blake
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Well turned out: Rebekah Brooks wore a navy pencil skirt suit with a green scarf and black Jimmy Choo heels as she arrived at Westminster Magistrates Court
Rebekah Brooks and husband Charlie appeared in court today to face charges of plotting to pervert the course of justice in relation to Scotland Yard's multi-million pound probe into phone hacking and corruption.
The 44-year-old, a trusted confidante of Rupert Murdoch and friend to a succession of prime ministers, is accused of removing boxes of material from the News International archive and attempting to conceal documents, computers and other material.
Instantly recognisable for her mane of flame-red hair and in a navy pencil skirt suit with a green scarf and black Jimmy Choo heels, she smiled as she arrived at Westminster Magistrates Court amid a large scrum of onlookers and members of the media.
As a former editor of two of Britain's top-selling newspapers, Mrs Brooks counts the upper echelons of the British establishment and senior politicians in her network of friends.
Those include Prime Minister David Cameron whose close relationship with Brooks and other figures in Murdoch's media empire will come under the microscope when he appears before the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics tomorrow.
Today's short hearing saw Mr and Mrs Brooks, along with four members of her former entourage, bailed until later this month when the their keenly-anticipated trial will begin in earnest at Southwark Crown Court.
She sat between her former PA Cheryl Carter and her husband with whom she chatted and laughed with as they waited for the hearing to start.
Charlie, who went to Eton with Prime Minister David Cameron, sat back and looked relaxed throughout the hearing when he occasionally glanced at the press.
The charges, made last month, were the first to be brought by the investigation into phone-hacking.
Mr and Mrs Brooks arrived minutes before her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter and Mark Hanna, head of security at News International, charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Chauffeur Paul Edwards and security consultant Daryl Jorsling also face single counts of conspiring with her.
All the offences are alleged to have taken place last July.
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Say cheese! Mr and Mrs Brooks appeared relaxed as they left the court, smiling for photographers
The development prompted the closure of the News of the World and Mrs Brooks’ resignation as chief executive of its parent company, News International.
Mrs Brooks, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, was charged after answering police bail at Lewisham police station in South-East London shortly before noon last months.
She faces three counts of perverting the course of justice.
The PA: Cheryl Carter leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court. She is charged with one count of conspiracy
The first alleges that, between July 6 and 19 last year, she conspired with her husband, Carter, 48, News Internationals Head of Security Mark Hanna, 49, her chauffeur Paul Edwards, 48, her security consultant Daryl Jorsling, 39, and others to conceal material from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service.Â
Gauntlet: Instantly recognisable for her mane of flame-red hair Mrs Brooks waded with husband Charlie through a large scrum of onlookers and members of the media
In the dock: Rebekah Brooks arrived at court alongside her husband Charlie. She faces three counts of conspiring to pervert the course of justice while he faces one
The second charge claims that she and Carter, between July 6 and 9 2011, conspired to remove seven boxes of material from the New International archives.Â
The final charge alleges that Brooks and her husband along with Hanna, Edwards, Jorsling, and others conspired to conceal documents, computers and other electronic equipment from Met officers, between July 15 and 19 2011.
Close circle: Mr and Mrs Brooks arrived minutes before her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, left, and Mark Hanna, head of security at News International, right, also charged with conspiring with her
Although all six are named in the first charge only Brooks is facing prosecution in relation to it - leaving all apart from her charged with only one count of perverting the course of justice each.
None of them indicated pleas to the charges against them.
However, the couple have already vigorously denied the charges and claimed she was being made a scapegoat. If found guilty, they face a probable jail term.
They will reappear at Southwark Crown Court for trial on June 22.
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