Neil Fearns was a student at Weatherfield Comprehensive and former classmate of Sarah Louise Platt. In late 1999 the pair slept together at the age of twelve and the following year Sarah was shocked to discover that she was pregnant shortly after turning thirteen. Martin and Gail Platt wanted to see the father and Sarah took them to the school to point him out. The pair were shocked to discover that Neil was just a young lad himself, as Gail had expected the father to be an much older boy taking advantage of Sarah Louise.