LONDON -- A judge has sentenced former News of the World news editor Ian Edmondson to eight months in prison for conspiring to hack the phones of celebrities, politicians and royals.
Edmondson is the eighth journalist from the now-defunct Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid to be convicted over illegal activities.
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Edmondson initially went on trial at the Old Bailey last year alongside his colleagues, including former editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, but was dropped as a defendant after a judge declared him unfit to stand trial.
He pleaded guilty last month to conspiring to intercept voicemails between 2000 and 2006.
Passing sentence Friday, Judge John Saunders said Edmondson had suffered from depression and other medical problems, and had lost his job and his reputation as a journalist.
However, the judge added, "He has only himself to blame for that."
"The list of victims of hacking with whom Edmondson was involved included celebrities, politicians and one person who was famous because of his links with the royal family, " Saunders said, according to Press Gazette. "Taken together, they amount to a substantial invasion of privacy, which has caused distress to many people, the majority of whom cannot be accused of courting publicity."
Additional reporting by The Associated Press