Photo: Howard Lake · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Born in United Kingdom · Nationality British — public relations / tabloids / media manipulation / historical sexual offences / criminal justice
Documented profile covering 8 controversies, including “2016: Acquitted in separate indecent assault case involving a teenage girl” and “2012–2014: Operation Yewtree — convicted of eight historical indecent assaults and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment”.
Profile No. 2081 · Updated on 12 October 2026
§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology
July 2016
While serving his 2014 sentence, Clifford was tried in a separate case concerning an allegation of indecent assault against a teenage girl. The jury found him not guilty.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
Case · 2 documented stages
December 2012–May 2014
Arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, Clifford was tried on several allegations of indecent assault dating from the 1970s and 1980s. In April 2014, he was found guilty on eight counts involving four victims; he was acquitted on two counts and the jury returned no verdict on another. He received a total sentence of eight years.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
November 2014
Clifford challenged the severity of his sentence. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal and upheld the eight-year prison sentence, considering it justified by the seriousness and repeated nature of the established offences.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2010
Clifford, whose telephone had been targeted by News of the World, secured a financial settlement exceeding £1 million. The agreement drew criticism because it ended his civil proceedings and was perceived by some observers as a way for the newspaper to limit further revelations about phone hacking.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
April 2004
Clifford advised Rebecca Loos and negotiated media agreements concerning her allegation of an affair with David Beckham. The press revealed that he had initially kept his role discreet during negotiations and received a share of the resulting revenue.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
August 2004
Clifford negotiated a substantial press deal for Faria Alam concerning her alleged relationships with Football Association officials, turning the affair into an international, highly lucrative media operation.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
1992
Clifford represented Antonia de Sancha in selling the story of her relationship with minister David Mellor to the tabloids. Memorable details, including the story involving a Chelsea football shirt, were published as part of the scandal before being subsequently described by de Sancha and Mellor as invented.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
1986
Clifford helped promote The Sun's headline claiming that Freddie Starr had eaten a woman's hamster. The story, which became emblematic of British tabloid journalism, was subsequently described as fabricated or heavily embellished, with Clifford more broadly boasting of his ability to create stories and manipulate the media.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
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