Rupert Murdoch attacked during phone hacking inquiry

The phone hacking inquiry was briefly interrupted this afternoon by a protester who threw a shaving foam pie over Rupert Murdoch.

Police handcuffed the man in connection with the attack straight away.  According to Sky News, the attacker was comedian and activist Jonnie Marbles whose real name is Jonathan May-Bowles.
TV viewers saw Rupert's wife Wendi Deng with son James trying to protect the 80-year-old who had been facing a grilling from MPs about the recent phone hacking scandal.

The attack happened two hours into the Commons select committee hearing held at Portcullis House near the Houses of Parliament. Committee chairman Tory MP John Whittingdale suspended the hearing immediately after the foam incident.

Lawyers are said to have complained about the lack of police presence in the room.

The inquiry returned to normal 15 minutes after the incident.

Journalists inside the hearing have reportedly said that the activist was sitting four rows behind when he calmly walked over and shoved the plate of shaving foam in Murdoch's face.

The Guardian's Jane Martinson watched the drama unfold. She told the paper: "The man lobbed a plate of shaving foam into Murdoch's face at point-blank range. There was an astonishing reaction from Wendi who, sitting behind her husband, immediately returned fire."

"James looked stunned, several members of room gasped, but Wendi then sat on the desk calmly wiping foam from her husband's face. There was foam all over her blue-painted toes as well as two police officers who immediately grabbed him."

The alleged attacker posted on his twitter account moments before he allegedly pelted Murdoch with the custard pie:   "It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat"