Former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis was today told he will not face prosecution over allegations relating to the phone-hacking scandal after “21 months of hell for my family”.
The Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was “insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction in relation” to Wallis.
Wallis’s case was one of 13 received by the CPS in July 2012.
Eight of those suspects were charged – including former News Internaitonal chief executive Rebekah Brooks and ex-News of the World editor Andrew Coulson – and three of the cases were dropped.
The police asked the CPS to defer making a decision in relation to two of the 13 suspects so they could make further enquiries.
Alison Levitt QC, the principal legal advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “The original file of evidence concerning these two journalists was received from the police on 11 June 2012 and related to allegations of offences contrary to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
"The file in relation to one of those two journalists was resubmitted on 11 January 2013. Having carefully considered the matter, the CPS has concluded that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction in relation to that journalist. The other journalist remains under investigation.”
Wallis confirmed on Twitter this morning that the case against him had been dropped:
After 21 months of hell for my family, CPS have just told my solicitors that there will be NO prosecution of me re my phone-hacking arrest
— Neil Wallis (@neilwallis1) February 22, 2013
Wallis is a former editor of The People and joined the NoW as deputy editor in 2003, working with then editor Andy Coulson.
Shortly after Coulson stepped down as editor in 2007 following the royal family phone-hacking scandal Wallis was named executive editor.
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