Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson got 18 months of jail time on Friday for participating in the hacking of the phones of politicians, celebrities, and crime victims.

Coulson, who also served as an aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron at one time, was convicted last week after an eight-month long trial. The case stemmed from reports about the News of the World staff illegally eavesdropping on voicemails received via mobile, the Associated Press detailed.

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Former editor Rebekah Brooks and four other employees of the now-defunct tabloid were acquitted.

According to Judge John Saunders, most of the blame for the hacking conspiracy falls on Coulson's shoulders. The hacking took place between 2003 and 2007 when he was editor in the Rupert Murdoch-owned firm.

The judge said Coulson had knowledge of the hacking and yet "he encouraged it" instead of putting an end to it. The defendants, on the other hand, argued that they did not know what they were doing was illegal and that they were using that method to obtain information on high-profile subjects.

The hacking issue ignited the rage of many Britons and prompted police to launch inquiries. Because of that, many journalists, police officers, and other officials were arrested.

This was the first time that a major trial was held because of the scandal. Saunders said many will probably be outraged at the short sentences, but the act is punishable for a maximum of two years in prison regardless of how many victims are involved in the case.

Coulson's sentence was reduced to 18 months from the maximum as a result of the "good character" he showed, the judge said. The former editor has yet to hurdle a retrial on two charges of bribery to obtain royal phone directories from police officers.

Meanwhile, former journalists Neville Thurlbeck and Greg Miskiw got six months prison time, while reporter James Weatherup got a suspended four-month sentence plus community service. All three had pleaded guilty of the hacking charges.

Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, the chief phone hacker of the newspaper, got a suspended six-month sentence. He had been jailed for hacking in 2007, and had pleaded guilty in the recent case.