Dossier 'trolls' will not be prosecuted - Martin Brunt/Sky news

Martin Brunt @skymartinbrunt  
 ·  33 mins 33 minutes ago  
#madeleine Police say they'll take no action against dozens of trolls who threatened violence and murder against parents of Madeleine McCann




Martin Brunt @skymartinbrunt  
 ·  33 mins 33 minutes ago  
#madeleine Leics police and CPS say twitter abuse does not breach harassment or malicious communication laws and some was out of time






Martin BruntVerified account
‏@skymartinbrunt   #madeleine Police say: "Much of the material was extremely distasteful and unpleasant...none constituted a prosecutable offence."

http://news.sky.com/story/1475870/mccann-trolls-will-not-be-prosecuted

McCann Trolls Will Not Be Prosecuted

Police say some of the messages sent to the family were "extremely distasteful", but none "constituted a prosecutable offence".



No further action will be taken against dozens of people accused of directing online abuse at the family of Madeleine McCann, Sky sources have revealed.

Anti-abuse campaigners had compiled a dossier of names after becoming alarmed at the threatening nature of some tweets and posts directed at Kate and Gerry McCann.

In a letter to the campaigners, Leicestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Roger Bannister said: "While finding that much of the material was extremely distasteful and unpleasant in nature, it was determined that none of the messages/postings constituted a prosecutable offence."

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "Leicestershire Police had spent about eight months investigating the dossier, which effectively was a catalogue of abuse tweeted and posted online elsewhere by antagonists of Kate and Gerry McCann.

"There were dozens of such individuals identified in the dossier. They had threatened violence and even death against the couple."

The online posts included words like petrol and matches, handcuffs, shooting, torture and lynching, Brunt said.

He added: "Leicestershire Police have decided after consulting with Crown Prosecutors that none of these postings constitutes a breach of the Harassment Act, the Malicious Communications Act or the Telecommunications Act."

More follows...

ann-kristine ‏@fiorifan · 7 mins7 minutes ago

ann-kristine retweeted Sky News
Well it seems that none of it was illegal and Brenda Leyland was just another McVictim. FOR NOTHING. #mccann

chrissie wrote:
Leicestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Roger Bannister

I wouldn't like to run a mile in his shoes.

Not a squeak about those who threatened Brenda Leyland, I notice. The press really are on the offensive this week.

Brunt said those who compiled the dossier have reacted with "absolute dismay" at the decision.

My heart bleeds for them!

Sonia Poulton ‏@SoniaPoulton · 44 secs44 seconds ago
It was ever thus: police officially announce will take no action against those in filthy dossier #McCann Too late for #BrendaLeyland RIP

I disagree with them then: to threaten murder is a serious offence, always has been, and always will be. It should have no place in the discussion. So that needs explaining for a start

Chop Suey on Toast wrote:I disagree with them then: to threaten murder is a serious offence, always has been, and always will be. It should have no place in the discussion. So that needs explaining for a start

I have never seen a tweet like that, and a threat like that would be prosecuted.  Here is what the police said...

laura jayne ‏@lauraxxjayne · 4 mins4 minutes ago
@skymartinbrunt #mccann see no mention of violence or murder dear !! ☺️

Chop Suey on Toast wrote:I disagree with them then: to threaten murder is a serious offence, always has been, and always will be. It should have no place in the discussion. So that needs explaining for a start

So does what has happened in the Mccann case need explaining ,but we wont get that.

But MB said this:

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "Leicestershire Police had spent about eight months investigating the dossier, which effectively was a catalogue of abuse tweeted and posted online elsewhere by antagonists of Kate and Gerry McCann. There were dozens of such individuals identified in the dossier. They had threatened violence and even death against the couple."

In fact, that's what the story is about - death threats. Where did he get that from?

Chop Suey on Toast wrote:But MB said this:

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "Leicestershire Police had spent about eight months investigating the dossier, which effectively was a catalogue of abuse tweeted and posted online elsewhere by antagonists of Kate and Gerry McCann. There were dozens of such individuals identified in the dossier. They had threatened violence and even death against the couple."

In fact, that's what the whole story is about - death threats

Why didn't Brunt track down and doorstep one of the individuals responsible for that then?

Chop Suey on Toast wrote:But MB said this:

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "Leicestershire Police had spent about eight months investigating the dossier, which effectively was a catalogue of abuse tweeted and posted online elsewhere by antagonists of Kate and Gerry McCann. There were dozens of such individuals identified in the dossier. They had threatened violence and even death against the couple."

In fact, that's what the story is about - death threats. Where did he get that from?

I don't think we need to phone a friend on that.

Real death threats would be prosecuted by police and rightly so.

candyfloss wrote:

Real death threats would be prosecuted by police and rightly so.

But the essence of the story is that death threats were made, but for some reason a decision was made not to prosecute. So the idea that the McCanns received death threats via social media enters the public consciousness as a proven fact.

And further down the line it implies that death threats on Twitter may not be prosecuted, unbelievable. LP need to comment fast

Seicento wrote:

candyfloss wrote:

Real death threats would be prosecuted by police and rightly so.

But the essence of the story is that death threats were made, but for some reason a decision was made not to prosecute. So the idea that the McCanns received death threats via social media enters the public consciousness as a proven fact.

Well, Crown Prosecution Services thinks not

"CPS have decided that none of the postings is a breach of the Harassment Act, Malicious Comms Act or the Telecommunications Act"

Jim Gamble ‏@JimGamble_INEQE · 52m52 minutes ago
A good day for #Trolls a bad day for #Policing & a worse day for #Victims
Lots of questions for @leicspolice & @cpsuk



Jim not happy!!

candyfloss wrote:

Seicento wrote:

candyfloss wrote:

Real death threats would be prosecuted by police and rightly so.

But the essence of the story is that death threats were made, but for some reason a decision was made not to prosecute. So the idea that the McCanns received death threats via social media enters the public consciousness as a proven fact.

Well, Crown Prosecution Services thinks not

"CPS have decided that none of the postings is a breach of the Harassment Act, Malicious Comms Act or the Telecommunications Act"

So who is wrong - the CPS or Twunty? I know what history will show.

This is the problem with editorial as news. The bald facts of the matter are that no crime was committed. That should be good enough for Gamble, and Murdoch's lapdog, but they can't resist sticking their oar in and unfortunately somebody has seen fit to give them a platform to do it. Although fortunately in Gamble's case his opinion carries about as much weight as a butterfly's shadow.

candyfloss wrote:"CPS have decided that none of the postings is a breach of the Harassment Act, Malicious Comms Act or the Telecommunications Act"

Well, death threats do breach such legislation, so something doesn't add up here

Brunt doesn't seem too happy either...oh dear, now there is absolutely no justification for the persecution of Brenda..Not that there ever was, but had anyone been prosecuted for offensive tweets, you can guarantee that the mc's, gamble and brunt would have put on their "holier than thou" hats and said "see we told you we had to track these people down..they are evil and have committed criminal offences"

But noone has..and to be fair, whilst I have read a lot of unpleasant stuff, I personally have never seen a death threat against the MCanns, plenty of people enraged at what they have and continue to have gotten away with (so far!) and people maybe expressing that anger in a less than controlled manner, but no chance of any of them being an actual physical threat to any of the McCanns.

As far as I can see from a quick read through, only Martin Brunt has mentioned that there were death threats and he's not the most honest reporter, is he?

Chop Suey on Toast wrote:

candyfloss wrote:"CPS have decided that none of the postings is a breach of the Harassment Act, Malicious Comms Act or the Telecommunications Act"

Well, death threats do breach such legislation, so something doesn't add up here

Well I think we all have deduced that Martin Brunt is one of the slimiest, dishonest and dishonourable of people, so I think we can ignore his dramatic proclamation that the Mc's received death threats on twitter and forums, because like I have said, I have never personally seen these death threats..yes, lots of angry people, no death threats

Freedom wrote:As far as I can see from a quick read through, only Martin Brunt has mentioned that there were death threats and he's not the most honest reporter, is he?

I think he is referring to the gun and bang threat that was all over the papers, and the elderly lady was not prosecuted because it was not real, a joke.

This one..



'Anyone got a gun? Bang!' Chilling message by sick internet troll 'threatening to shoot Madeleine McCann's mother as she runs London Marathon'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2294644/Kate-McCann-Chilling-message-sick-internet-troll-threatening-shoot-Madeleine-McCanns-mother-runs-London-Marathon.html

Poor Brenda R.I.P

Brunt is disappointed and (well he should be) embarrassed,he confronted Mrs leyland with a supposed dossier,drawn up by the McCanns it resulted it could be argued in her death,he was first out with the news about the hollow victory and was desperate for another vindication.