Chiswick journalist pleads not guilty at Old Bailey

The Chiswick-based former News of the World deputy-editor Neil Wallis, is facing a six week trial in June next year on phone-hacking charges.

Neil Wallis (64) pleaded Not Guilty at an appearance at the Old Bailey and was given unconditional bail until his trial on June 3rd, 2015.

Former features editor Jules Stenson (48) has been convicted of conspiring to interpret voicemail messages at the now defunct Sunday tabloid between January 1, 2003 and January 26 2007. Stenson will be sentenced at a date to be fixed next year.

Neil Wallis appeared alongside Stenson last Friday at the Old Bailey and pleaded 'not guilty' to the same offence of conspiracy to intercept communications in the course of their transmission, commonly known as 'phone-hacking'.

The charges arise from the police inquiry Operation Pinetree which investigated the Features department of the now defunct News of the World for phone-hacking.

Following that investigation, the former NoW editor Andy Coulson was convicted and sent to prison, while former NoW editor Rebekah Brooks was found not guilty, along with retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner.

Wallis was first arrested under the main phone-hacking inquiry, Operation Weeting, in July 2011, and was left on bail for nearly two years until February 2013, when he was told he would face no further action due to a lack of evidence.

He was told last August (2014) that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to instigate prosecutions against Stenson and himself.

December 15, 2014