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June 30, 2015

Jury ponders hacking case against former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis

By PA Media Lawyer

The jury in the hacking trial of Neil Wallis, former deputy to News of the World editor Andy Coulson has yet to reach a verdict after retiring on Thursday.

Wallis, Coulson's deputy between 2003 and 2007, is accused of being part of a plot to hack phones to get scoops on celebrities, royals, sports stars and politicians.

Among the high-profile figures targeted by the News of the World were princes William and Harry during their time at Sandhurst, former home secretary David Blunkett and actress Sienna Miller, the Old Bailey trial heard.

Prosecutor Julian Christopher QC told jurors it was "inconceivable" that those above and below Wallis in the newsroom knew what was going on but that he did not.

He said Coulson was convicted in the first much-publicised hacking trial and a number of other staff at the News of the World had pleaded guilty.

Even though Wallis is not accused of doing any hacking himself, the Crown says he knew it was being done and agreed to it.

But Wallis, 64, of Chiswick, west London, denies the charge, saying he was unaware of the practice which led to the newspaper's closure in 2011.

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The jury was not set to sit today but will continue its deliberations tomorrow.

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