By JILL LAWLESS

Associated Press

LONDON - A U.K. prosecutor says three senior journalists at the defunct News of the World tabloid have already pleaded guilty to hacking phones.

Lawyer Andrew Edis said ex-news editor Greg Miskiw, ex-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, and former reporter James Weatherup all entered guilty pleas ahead of this week's high-profile phone hacking trial.

The case sees former News of the World top editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, as well as several others, facing charges stemming from the revelation that the Rupert Murdoch tabloid eavesdropped on the voicemails of celebrities, politicians, and crime victims.

The defendants all deny the charges, but Edis said Wednesday that the guilty pleas already entered show "there was a conspiracy which involved a significant number of people."