Sun trial told Neil Wallis used Dear Deirdre letter to ‘humiliate’ reporter after pregnancy stopped New York

A Sun journalist told how he was "humiliated" in the newspaper by a boss who ordered a new Dear Deidre column focusing on his decision to turn down a job in New York.

Giving evidence at his trial, Chris Pharo told jurors how The Sun used scantily clad models pretending to be readers with problems for the regular feature in the tabloid.

The 46-year-old, who was later to become news editor, recalled the incident involving Neil Wallis which happened while he was working as a district reporter in Bristol.

He said Wallis became "incandescent with rage" at him for rejecting the opportunity to work in the United States – and a £20,000 pay rise – because his then partner Kirsty had become pregnant unexpectedly.

"He said I was a fucking idiot, that I had fucked my life up, it was a job for a single man and he was furious because he had put my name forward for the job and basically I embarrassed him.

"The worst element of it beyond that was what happened in the next few days.

"A few days after the conversation with Mr Wallis I was getting ready to go to work in the morning. I heard Kirsty scream in the kitchen.

"The subject of the Dear Deidre was a young executive who had ruined his life by turning down a job in New York because his conniving girlfriend had deliberately got herself pregnant.

"I later discovered that Neil had torn out the one that had been planned and got an emergency one shot as a means to humiliate me over the whole decision."

Pharo denies wrongdoing and the Old Bailey trial continues.