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17 Facts About Neil Wallis

1.

Neil Wallis is currently a media consultant and media commentator.

2.

Neil Wallis grew up at 32 Tarran Way in Skegness, the son of John William Canning Wallis.

3.

Neil Wallis's father had worked as a steward on liners in the Merchant Navy from 1935 to 1947 and 1953 to 1955.

4.

Aged 19 in December 1969, Neil Wallis appeared at Skegness magistrates, charged with joint burglary and theft, and joint burglary with intent.

5.

The head of Skegness CID, Detective Chief Inspector Robert Davidson originally from Girvan in South Ayrshire, thought that Neil Wallis was a 'good boy'.

6.

Neil Wallis was put on probation for three years, and told to mix with better people.

7.

Neil Wallis gained his first employment working for the Skegness Standard, leaving after six months to work for the Worksop Guardian as part of a National Council for the Training of Journalists scheme, during which he studied at Richmond College of Further Education in Sheffield.

8.

At this point in his career, Neil Wallis became a Crime Reporter, giving talks to police officers on police-media relations, whilst freelancing for The Sunday People, progressing from the paper's Manchester desk to its London office.

9.

Neil Wallis then became the paper's Chief Investigative Reporter, responsible for conducting investigations into "murders, show business scandals, corruption, crime in general, drugs, spying and politics".

10.

Neil Wallis left The Sun in 1998 and took up the editorship of The People.

11.

Neil Wallis was known as "The Wolfman" by fellow journalists.

12.

Neil Wallis is a former member of the Editors' Code of Practice Committee at the Press Complaints Commission.

13.

On 14 July 2011, Neil Wallis was arrested by the Metropolitan Police investigating the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

14.

At this development, the Outside Organisation edited their website, removing his listing as MD and a part of his biography which had stated "What he [Neil Wallis] doesn't know about journalism and media isn't worth knowing".

15.

Neil Wallis' trial began at the Old Bailey in June 2015, he was represented by Phil Smith of Simons Muirhead Burton; He denied the charges against him.

16.

On 1 July 2015, Neil Wallis was unanimously cleared by the jury after it had spent four days considering the charges against him.

17.

Neil Wallis claimed that fighting the claims against him had cost him his life savings, damaged his health and career, and taken a toll on his family.