James Hipwell
Encyclopedia
James Hipwell is a former Daily Mirror business journalist who was investigated over the so-called 'City Slickers' share tipping scandal along with the paper's then editor, Piers Morgan
. He spent two months in prison after being convicted at a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court
in 2005 of conspiracy to contravene section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act 1986 contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Between 1998 and 2000, along with his colleague, Anil Bhoyrul
, Hipwell worked on the Daily Mirrors financial column City Slickers, offering financial news, gossip and share tips. The column became popular, but in 2000 the pair were fired following allegations that they had been giving tips about companies in which they held stock.
The Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom) launched an investigation in 2000 but it did not conclude for several years and the trial did not come to court until October 2005. In 2002 Hipwell gave an interview to The Guardian
in which he described the situation as "Kafkaesque". "We are in the invidious position of everyone knowing that we are under investigation by the DTI yet nobody, including us, knows exactly what the scope of the investigation is, who they are talking to, what they are minded to do or when, if at all, there will be an outcome," he said.
On 7 December 2005, Hipwell and Bhoyrul were convicted of conspiracy to breach the Financial Services Act 1986
. The conviction was for so-called market manipulation
, a practice which is illegal under the Act. Hipwell later appealed against his sentence, but had the appeal rejected by the High Court in 2007.
In July 2011, following allegations about phone hacking at the News of the World
and other News International
titles, an interview that Hipwell gave to The Guardian in 2006 about hacking at The Mirror while he was there was unearthed by blogger Guido Fawkes
.
Hipwell then spoke to The Independent
claiming that the practice had been "endemic" at the Mirror during his time there under the editorship of Piers Morgan
, a former editor of The Sun. He also alleged that phone hacking took place at some of the Mirror's sister publications. Trinity Mirror
which publishes the Daily Mirror contested Hipwell's claims. A spokesman said: "Our position is clear...Our journalists work within the criminal law and the Press Complaints Commission code of conduct." Following Hipwell's allegations the share price of Trinity Mirror
dropped 10 per cent and the company was forced to announce a review into whether its journalists had in the past hacked telephones.
In an interview for the BBC's World at One programme on 28 July 2011 Hipwell said there was "no doubt" that Piers Morgan
knew that his journalists were using phone hacks as a method to get stories. In another interview with the BBC's Newsnight he revealed that phone hacking had been an "accepted technique" to get a story at the Daily Mirror while he worked there.
In 2000 Hipwell was struck down with kidney failure and had to start having dialysis three times a week at the Middlesex Hospital
in London. His brother donated a kidney in 2002 but the underlying kidney disease, IgA nephropathy
, returned and he was back on dialysis in 2010. He has written extensively about the experience in a blog called "Life on the waiting list" in The Guardian
.
In September 2010 he had a second kidney transplant, this time with his wife, film-maker and journalist Rachel Stevenson, acting as donor. She made a film about their journey to the operating table for The Guardian
.
On 14 April 2011 the pair appeared on ITV morning programme Lorraine (TV programme)
to talk about the experience and to highlight the importance of joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Since first being diagnosed with kidney failure Hipwell has campaigned on related issues such as organ donation
and presumed consent. In 2002 he launched National Transplant Awareness Week with health minister David Lammy
. They unveiled a billboard encouraging the public to register to become organ donors.
He has also written articles in support of a campaign by The Observer
to change the system of organ donation to one of presumed consent, in line with other European countries such as Spain, Austria and Belgium.
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
. He spent two months in prison after being convicted at a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court
Southwark Crown Court
Southwark Crown Court is one of three Crown Court buildings in London SE1, along with Inner London Crown Court and Blackfriars Crown Court.Opened in 1983, the brick building is located close to the River Thames at the south of London Bridge, next to Hay's Galleria...
in 2005 of conspiracy to contravene section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act 1986 contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Between 1998 and 2000, along with his colleague, Anil Bhoyrul
Anil Bhoyrul
Anil Bhoyrul is a former Daily Mirror business journalist who was investigated over the so-called 'City Slickers' share tipping scandal along with the paper's then editor, Piers Morgan....
, Hipwell worked on the Daily Mirrors financial column City Slickers, offering financial news, gossip and share tips. The column became popular, but in 2000 the pair were fired following allegations that they had been giving tips about companies in which they held stock.
The Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom) launched an investigation in 2000 but it did not conclude for several years and the trial did not come to court until October 2005. In 2002 Hipwell gave an interview to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in which he described the situation as "Kafkaesque". "We are in the invidious position of everyone knowing that we are under investigation by the DTI yet nobody, including us, knows exactly what the scope of the investigation is, who they are talking to, what they are minded to do or when, if at all, there will be an outcome," he said.
On 7 December 2005, Hipwell and Bhoyrul were convicted of conspiracy to breach the Financial Services Act 1986
Financial Services Act 1986
The Financial Services Act 1986 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the government of Margaret Thatcher to regulate the financial services industry. The Act used a mixture of governmental regulation and self-regulation, and created a Securities and Investments Board ...
. The conviction was for so-called market manipulation
Market manipulation
Market manipulation describes a deliberate attempt to interfere with the free and fair operation of the market and create artificial, false or misleading appearances with respect to the price of, or market for, a security, commodity or currency...
, a practice which is illegal under the Act. Hipwell later appealed against his sentence, but had the appeal rejected by the High Court in 2007.
In July 2011, following allegations about phone hacking at the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
and other News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
titles, an interview that Hipwell gave to The Guardian in 2006 about hacking at The Mirror while he was there was unearthed by blogger Guido Fawkes
Paul Staines
Paul Staines is an English-born Irish right-wing political blogger. Writer of the pseudonymous "Guido Fawkes' blog of parliamentary plots, rumours & conspiracy", which had as of February 2009, 118,000 visitors per month, his political blog has been described as "one of Britain's leading political...
.
Hipwell then spoke to The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
claiming that the practice had been "endemic" at the Mirror during his time there under the editorship of Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
, a former editor of The Sun. He also alleged that phone hacking took place at some of the Mirror's sister publications. Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
which publishes the Daily Mirror contested Hipwell's claims. A spokesman said: "Our position is clear...Our journalists work within the criminal law and the Press Complaints Commission code of conduct." Following Hipwell's allegations the share price of Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
dropped 10 per cent and the company was forced to announce a review into whether its journalists had in the past hacked telephones.
In an interview for the BBC's World at One programme on 28 July 2011 Hipwell said there was "no doubt" that Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
knew that his journalists were using phone hacks as a method to get stories. In another interview with the BBC's Newsnight he revealed that phone hacking had been an "accepted technique" to get a story at the Daily Mirror while he worked there.
In 2000 Hipwell was struck down with kidney failure and had to start having dialysis three times a week at the Middlesex Hospital
Middlesex Hospital
The Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, United Kingdom. First opened in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally closed in 2005. Its staff and services were transferred to various sites...
in London. His brother donated a kidney in 2002 but the underlying kidney disease, IgA nephropathy
IgA nephropathy
IgA nephropathy is a form of glomerulonephritis...
, returned and he was back on dialysis in 2010. He has written extensively about the experience in a blog called "Life on the waiting list" in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
In September 2010 he had a second kidney transplant, this time with his wife, film-maker and journalist Rachel Stevenson, acting as donor. She made a film about their journey to the operating table for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
On 14 April 2011 the pair appeared on ITV morning programme Lorraine (TV programme)
Lorraine (TV programme)
Lorraine is the early weekday morning, lifestyle and entertainment show for the British ITV network, presented by Lorraine Kelly. ITV Breakfast produces Lorraine, which airs every weekday from 08:30 until 09:25, following Daybreak...
to talk about the experience and to highlight the importance of joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Since first being diagnosed with kidney failure Hipwell has campaigned on related issues such as organ donation
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
and presumed consent. In 2002 he launched National Transplant Awareness Week with health minister David Lammy
David Lammy
David Lindon Lammy is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tottenham since 2000.Lammy has commented on Britain's history of slavery.-Early life and Education:...
. They unveiled a billboard encouraging the public to register to become organ donors.
He has also written articles in support of a campaign by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
to change the system of organ donation to one of presumed consent, in line with other European countries such as Spain, Austria and Belgium.