Former News of the World executives referred to Old Bailey over new phone-hacking charges
The long-running phone-hacking scandal took a new twist today as two senior executives of the now defunct News of the World appeared in court to face charges of conspiracy to illegally intercept communications between 2003 and 2007.
Neil Wallis
The former deputy editor and features editor of the Sunday Tabloid, Neil Wallis and Jules Stenson, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court this morning to be told their cases would be transferred to the Old Bailey with a hearing scheduled for 8 September.
Neither man spoke other than to confirm their names and addresses.
The new charges follow the conviction, after a marathon trial, of the News of the World’s former editor Andy Coulson, who is now serving an 18-month sentence in Belmarsh prison.
Stenson and Wallis have been accused of conspiring with Coulson, phone-hacker Glenn Mulcaire and “persons unknown” to hack the phone messages of celebrities and politicians to obtain stories for the News of the World. Both have denied the charges.
Before being charged Wallis made numerous media appearances attacking the police investigation of alleged illegal activities in the tabloid press.
When it was announced he was to be charged he said: "Perhaps it is inevitable that after being such an outspoken critic of the collateral damage and pain caused by this endlessly vindictive and enormously costly investigation the ire has been turned on me for something that occurred at News International which I was not party to and have always said was wrong.”
He has also spoken out about the conditions that his friend Andy Coulson is being held in, telling the Drum last week that the situation was “simply farcical”.
Both Wallis and Stenson were granted unconditional bail.