Phone hacking trial: Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks

Rebekah Brooks poured out her heart in a letter to David Cameron’s ex-spin doctor Andy Coulson as he tried to end their secret affair, an Old Bailey jury heard today.

She wrote that she loved him and did not know how she would cope without him.

The flame-haired former News of the World editor had a six-year fling with Coulson while both worked for the now defunct newspaper’s parent company, News International, it was claimed.

And she wrote him a passionate note when he tried to finish their relationship, the court was told.

The message, written in February 2004, was found on her computer when she was arrested over an alleged phone hacking conspiracy in 2011.

Part of it read: “There are a hundred things that have happened since Saturday night that I would normally share with you, some important, most trivial. The fact is you are my best friend. I tell you everything, I confide in you, I seek your advice.

“I love you, care about you, worry about you. We laugh and cry together… without our relationship in my life I’m not really sure how I will cope.

“I am frightened to be without you but bearing in mind ‘the rules’ you will not know how I’m doing and vice versa. The thought of finding out anything about you or your life from somebody else fills me with ­absolute dread.”

She added: “I know what horror it means and I know why we have to stick to it. But, for example, how does this work thing manifest itself? Do we limit contact until we absolutely have to?”

The jury was told that the relationship began in 1998 and continued during the height of the phone hacking allegations that eventually led to the paper’s closure by boss Rupert Murdoch.

Coulson married his wife Eloise in 2000 and Brooks married EastEnders star Ross Kemp in 2002 – while it is claimed the affair was still going on.

Prosecutors say the existence of Brooks’ letter proves the couple could trust each other implicitly over phone hacking – most of which was carried out by private detective Glenn Mulcaire.

He has pleaded guilty to intercepting voicemails, including those of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

Revealing the details of the affair, Andrew Edis, QC, told the jury: “The point I am going to make is that throughout the relevant period, what Mr Coulson knew, Mrs Brooks knew, and what Mrs Brooks knew, Mr Coulson knew too.”

He added: “Let me be clear about why I’m telling you this. It isn’t to intrude into their privacy. It has that effect, of course, but it’s of no real significance to this prosecution how people choose to behave. This isn’t in any way a moral judgment. Mr Coulson and Mrs Brooks are charged with conspiracy.

“When people are charged with conspiracy the first question a jury has to answer is how well did they know each other, how much did they trust each other?

“The fact they were in this ­relationship which was a secret means they trusted each other quite a lot and that’s why we’re telling you about it.”

Brooks is said to have been part of a conspiracy to access the voicemails of royals, celebrities, politicians and people in the news when she was editor of the News of the World from 2000-03, with Coulson as her deputy.

She left to become editor of the Sun, later becoming chief executive officer of News International.

Coulson took over as editor at the News of the World and was hired in 2007 as the Conservative Party’s director of communications.

In 2010 he became the PM’s PR guru at No 10 before quitting after the hacking scandal broke in 2011.

Brooks, 45, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, and Coulson, 45, from Charing in Kent, are both accused of conspiracy to intercept communications in the course of their transmission.

They allegedly conspired with former News of the World head of news Edmondson, 44, from Raynes Park, south west London, the tabloid’s ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73, from Woodford Green, Essex, and others to illegally access voicemails between October 3 2000 and August 9 2006.

Ex-NotW and Sun editor Brooks is also charged with two counts of conspiring with others to commit misconduct in public office – one between January 1 2004 and January 31 2012 and the other between February 9 2006 and October 16 2008 – linked to alleged inappropriate payments to public officials.

She faces another two allegations of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice – one with her former personal assistant Carter, 49, from Chelmsford in Essex, between July 6 and 9 2011.

It is alleged that they conspired to remove seven boxes of material from the News International archive.

The second count alleges that Brooks, her husband Charles Brooks and former head of security at News International Hanna conspired together and with others between July 15 and July 19 2011 to pervert the course of justice.

It is claimed that they tried to conceal documents, computers and other electronic equipment from police officers who were investigating allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers.

Former No 10 spin doctor and ex-NotW editor Coulson is also facing two allegations that he conspired with the tabloid’s former royal editor Goodman, 56, from Addlestone in Surrey, and persons unknown to commit misconduct in public office – one between August 31 2002 and January 31 2003, and the other between January 31 and June 3 2005.

Brooks remained with her head bowed and Coulson looked ahead towards the prosecutor as their affair was revealed to the jury.

The court heard that Brooks went on holiday to Dubai in April 2002, but remained in contact with Coulson while she was away.

Mr Edis said: “That’s why you need to have the full context of their relationship – because while she was away she was in contact with him, we say.

“Of course, what I’ve told you may mean that they had all sorts of personal reasons for wanting to remain in contact with each other, but we say to you that it’s clear from the timing of the contact that it was at least partly work-related.”