Paul McMullan (journalist)
Paul McMullan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, pub owner, politician |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Former tabloid journalist at News of the World; involvement in phone hacking controversy |
Paul McMullan (born 1963) is a former British tabloid journalist. His education includes attendance at Trinity School, Croydon, Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, and the Université de Lille.
Journalism career
McMullan started his journalism journey with the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle and the Rhondda Leader before advancing to national newspapers based in London. His career included roles at The Sun and Today, with a brief tenure as news editor at the Sunday Sport. Between 1994 and 2001, he worked as a features journalist for the now-defunct News of the World, briefly stepping into the position of deputy features editor in 2000.
In 2011, McMullan publicly regretted articles he authored during the 1990s concerning Jennifer Elliott, daughter of actor Denholm Elliott, which disclosed sensitive police details. Elliott tragically took her own life in 2003.
That year, comedian Steve Coogan labelled McMullan "morally bankrupt" during an appearance on BBC2's Newsnight. Actor Hugh Grant secretly recorded McMullan discussing extensive phone hacking activities at the newspaper. McMullan admitted to these practices openly and gave evidence at the Leveson Inquiry, confessing to various illegal tactics used to obtain stories while defending their necessity. He notably dismissed privacy issues with the remark "Privacy is for paedos," and disclosed that he concealed his own location for personal safety.
He acknowledged engaging in bribery of police officers, theft of documents, rummaging through celebrities' trash bins, and impersonating a "teenage rent boy" to expose a paedophile priest. McMullan justified these approaches as acceptable when aimed at uncovering the truth. He questioned whether society desires only intelligence agencies like MI5 and MI6 to conduct hacking, pointing out that tabloids operated with relative freedom for roughly two decades. He described privacy as "the space bad people need to do bad things in."
More recently, McMullan has pursued freelance journalism, frequently contributing to Kent-based KOS Media publications such as Kent on Sunday.
Pub owner and politician
McMullan owns multiple properties in Kent, including The Castle Inn near the Port of Dover, which he manages as a public house. In January 2011, he took over as landlord of The Bull public house in Eastry on behalf of Punch Taverns, appointing a bar manager. After residents lodged noise complaints, McMullan stepped down as leaseholder; subsequent investigations by Dover District Council and Kent Police preceded the pub’s closure.
In August 2011, McMullan sought but failed to obtain permission to employ topless barmaids at The Castle Inn. Additionally, he established Dover Backpackers, an economical hostel offering dormitory accommodation integrated with the pub’s operations.
In the political arena, McMullan ran as an independent candidate for Dover Town Ward in the 2013 Kent County Council elections after being unable to secure backing from UKIP. He finished third behind candidates from the Conservative and Labour parties.
Personal life
McMullan is a father to four children—two born during his previous marriage to News of The World reporter Maria McMullan, and two more from a subsequent relationship with an editor of a local newspaper in Kent. He is often approached by global media outlets from countries such as Turkey, India, Europe, and Australia at his pub to discuss topics related to phone hacking and the journalism industry. Additionally, McMullan has written a book that explores the phone hacking controversy involving the News of the World and associated practices.