Woman doorstepped & exposed by Sky news kills hersef

[al**bear]

A 63-year-old woman who was allegedly part of an internet hate campaign against the family of Madeleine McCann has been found dead in a hotel.

Brenda Leyland, from Burton Overy, Leicestershire, was accused of being one of the so-called "trolls" directing abusive messages at the McCanns.

Her body was found days after she was confronted outside her home by a Sky News reporter Martin Brunt

Mrs Leyland was confronted by the reporter who put to her she had posted messages attacking the family on Twitter via the handle @sweepyface.

She replied: "I'm entitled to do that."

A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: "Police were called at 13:42 on Saturday 4 October to reports of a body of a woman in a hotel room in Smith Way, Grove Park [in Leicester].

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Sky news and Martin Brunt have come under sustained attack all over social media since this story broke

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So is doorstepping and exposing an alleged Troll on national TV - Trolling ?

[**caution**opinion_ahead]

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@suzieseaside wrote:

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@**caution**opinion_ahead wrote:

Then, it should have been left to the police to deal with.

I'm not excusing the behaviour at all.  I just don't think doorstepping is the way to deal with it.

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...

The media and those who are ready to believe the worst of people before knowing the full facts can't wait to act as judge and jury ...

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Quite so.  And who whipped up all the venom towards the McCanns in the first place?  Why, sections of the media, of course.

[bankhaunter]

Quite so.  And who whipped up all the venom towards the McCanns in the first place?  Why, sections of the media, of course.

Could this be an example?

http://talktalk.parentdish.co.uk/2014/10/06/katie-hopkins-accuses-mccanns-of-negligence-after-death-...

[al**bear]

There are a group of McCann supporters (who seem to know a lot of personal family info) who go after everyone and anyone who question Gerry McCann, the McCanns are now an 'entity' outwith being the parents of that poor little girl who vanished. They also seem to have some very influential 'media friends'

If we could look back on here, to the day after her disappearance, you'd find myself and other Scots, being totally surprised at the actions & statements of Scottish McCann family members & friends, who appeared as a group, on our TV screens that Morning.

They did seem more interested in protecting Gerry & Kates reputations rather than plead for the little ones return.  That atmosphere of behaviour has continued ever since. 

One of the complaints about the trolls, mentioned yet again in the Sky news report, was them having a harmful effect on money raising.  ?????-- Yet again it seems money is the most important factor

People will still give money to help search, but  many don't want it to go anywhere near the McCanns

[evoman3957]

I hope I'm not ultimately proved wrong, but I don't really believe the McCanns did anything directly to harm their child. I may have personally done other things ( which contributed to the outcome ) differently, but that's for them to be able to live with.  As for "Trolls", in my view, they are cowards hiding behind anonymity and I was always taught "If you can't take it..........don't dish it out to others".......when She was exposed, the way out She took says it all.

[sir_arthur_strebe-grebling]

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@al**bear wrote:

There are a group of McCann supporters (who seem to know a lot of personal family info) who go after everyone and anyone who question Gerry McCann, the McCanns are now an 'entity' outwith being the parents of that poor little girl who vanished. They also seem to have some very influential 'media friends'

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Al, odd as it may seem, I see parallels with another famous disappearance: Lord Lucan. The Police got nowhere in investigating his crimes and disappearance because everywhere they turned, they found influential friends who gave no information and blocked every bit of the investigation.

With the McCanns, this apparently started with those who were with them in Portugal.

[lambsy_uk]

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@**caution**opinion_ahead wrote:

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

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@**caution**opinion_ahead wrote:

Twitter and the site should take responsibility for what is posted on it.  

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Why do you believe Twitter should be responsible for what someone posts?

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Not just Twitter.  I think all sites have a responsibility to oversee what is posted, follow up complaints, etc.  Of course, that is not to suggest free speech on the internet should be stifled, but overt hostility can be dealt with.   It needs somewhat of a culture change, 'tis true.  

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But there are laws to deal with threatening behaviour and hate crimes and if people want somewhere moderated they can come somewhere like this forum. Isn't Twitter supposed to be different?

I don't use Twitter because it has no use or appeal for me, best to stay away if one doesn't like it surely!

[cee-dee]

Speaking about "moderation", remember what happened to other questioning/probing threads on here about those two.....?

[al**bear]

Talking about that CeeDee, there is a link that threads through a lot of the People and organisations that 'back/defend' them = Ireland

One thing that should be asked,

Can you 'Troll' a couple, who are NOT MEMBERS of Twitter and have said repeatedly that they NEVER read anything on the site ?

[lambsy_uk]

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@al**bear wrote:

Talking about that CeeDee, there is a link that threads through a lot of the People and organisations that 'back/defend' them = Ireland

One thing that should be asked,

Can you 'Troll' a couple, who are NOT MEMBERS of Twitter and have said repeatedly that they NEVER read anything on the site ?

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That's a good point. To me trolling is a person to person thing, a bit like stalking. You can't troll someone if they don't read the posts!

The posts may still be offensive but it's not trolling.