Brenda Leyland and the inquest

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Marky wrote:

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Just to clarify, could you please provide a link to any report by the police, (not the MSM), that states they were investigating or were going to begin investigating Brenda Leyland. (Not just Trolls in general)...

"Leyland Inquest Shambles Misses The Point" at No Holds Barred makes for good reading at www.journalist208.blogspot.co.uk

Judge Dread wrote:

Marky wrote:

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Just to clarify, could you please provide a link to any report by the police, (not the MSM), that states they were investigating or were going to begin investigating Brenda Leyland. (Not just Trolls in general)...

i'm not your research department but because it's you i'll let you in on a little secret. during the inquest detective sergeant steven Hutchins, from leicestershire police, confirmed that none of the tweets concerned amounted to a criminal offence. now, in order to reach that conclusion one must first undertake an...

Marky wrote:

Chris wrote:I see being pushed for space Sky didn't have room to include the police conclusion that none of the tweets constituted a criminal act despite Brunt suggesting otherwise when he doorstepped BL.

they did as it happens but at the time martin brunt didn't suggest anything of the sort.

Where is the evidence that the CPS was considering the dossier (which he said)? The CPS don't get involved unless there is a prospect of charges and proceedings of a criminal act and it is disingenuous to deny that is a suggestion that criminality was involved. Incidentally if by your "they did" you are referring to inclusion of the police conclusion - they didn't - try actually reading the report you snipped from my post.

Does anyone have an idea what Martin Brunt could have been referring to when he tweeted "That was a hoax!" at 5:42PM yesterday? His last tweet prior to this was on March 17.

"Madeleine McCann: Innocent Brenda Leyland was hounded to death by the Trollhunters" is well worth reading at www.anorak.co.uk (click on "News" and then "Madeleine McCann")

interested wrote:Does anyone have an idea what Martin Brunt could have been referring to when he tweeted "That was a hoax!" at 5:42PM yesterday?  His last tweet prior to this was on March 17.

I don't know, but that was from his own verified account, twitter and FB have come up with all sorts of theories of course.

Blacksmith's latest "Seeing What's In Front of Our Eyes" pulls no punches. www.blacksmithbureau.blogspot.com

interested wrote:Blacksmith's latest "Seeing What's In Front of Our Eyes" pulls no punches.   www.blacksmithbureau.blogspot.com

That last line!!

Chris wrote:

Marky wrote:

Chris wrote:I see being pushed for space Sky didn't have room to include the police conclusion that none of the tweets constituted a criminal act despite Brunt suggesting otherwise when he doorstepped BL.

they did as it happens but at the time martin brunt didn't suggest anything of the sort.

Where is the evidence that the CPS was considering the dossier (which he said)? The CPS don't get involved unless there is a prospect of charges and proceedings of a criminal act and it is disingenuous to deny that is a suggestion that criminality was involved. Incidentally if by your "they did" you are referring to inclusion of the police conclusion - they didn't - try actually reading the report you snipped from my post.

the police issued a statement to that effect.

and here's fact. there are a lot of muppets who can't handle the truth. by all accounts the inquest is either a cover up or a conspiracy or both.

Sky TV reporter 'devastated' by suicide of McCann Twitter troll days after he exposed her, inquest hears

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3004290/Sky-TV-reporter-devastated-suicide-McCann-Twitter-troll-days-exposed-inquest-hears.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490


A Sky TV reporter has revealed he was 'devastated' by the suicide of a woman who killed herself days after he exposed her as one of the Twitter trolls who abused the McCann family.

Brenda Leyland, 63, from Burton Overy, Leicestersire, died in October days after being approached on camera by Martin Brunt.

The reporter confronted her on the subject of hundreds of posts she had written about the McCann family, whose daughter Madeleine went missing in Portugal in 2007.

At an inquest into her death today Mr Brunt said he was 'devastated' when told she had been found dead days later.

was devastated, I still am and the enormity of what’s happened will always be with me.'

He approached the woman on September 30 last year after being given a list of the names of people who had been trolling the family.

Among some 400 posts written by Mrs Leyland, she described Kate and Gerry McCann as the 'worst of humankind'.

After tracking the divorcee down to the village in Leicestershire, Mr Brunt and his camera crew approached her outside her house.

Introducing himself as a Sky News reporter, he asked her why she had been using Twitter to 'attack' the family.

Mrs Leyland responded: 'I'm entitled to do that,' before saying that a Scotland Yard investigation into the tweets was 'fair enough'.

She died days later after checking in to a hotel in nearby Enderby. Today Mr Brunt said he was surprised she had engaged with him at all in the days beforehand.

'I was rather surprised that she did speak to me and did engage with me,' he said.



Following their filmed exchange Mrs Leyland got in to a parked car and drove away. Later she returned to the house and invited the reporter inside.

'After she left, we stayed in the village and I did a piece to camera. We were just packing up to go when she returned,' Mr Brunt added.

'We approached her again as she walked up to her house and she said "Come in Martin". I went in and spoke to her for about half an hour.

'Once in the house she seemed very relaxed. I said I had caught her on the hop and asked if she would be willing to do an interview in her house, but she wasn't interested.

'I said I hoped I hadn't ruined her day, and she said I hadn't ruined her day - but her life.'

He added the woman was 'at pains' to explain why she had written the negative messages about the McCann family.

'She said she had concerns about the fundraising and was concerned they had left Madeleine with her siblings alone.

'She said, "I have questions for the McCanns".

'She said she thought Twitter was a means to express opinions and hoped she had not done anything unlawful.'

Mr Brunt added he explained the police were in discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service.

'She acknowledged she was (the Twitter user) "sweepyface" and said "I probably won’t ever tweet again"'.

The following day Mrs Leyland contacted Mr Brunt on the phone number he had given her during their visit and asked whether she would be identified in the broadcast.


“ The enormity of what’s happened will always be with me”


Martin Brunt, Sky News

'I did say I would keep her informed because I am aware of the impact such a confrontation can have on somebody,' he told the inquest. .

The pair spoke again the night before the clip was shown.



Asked whether he could detect any concern for her life during their conversation, Mr Brunt said: 'No, but when I asked her how she was, she said "Oh I have thought about ending it all but I am feeling better - I have had a drink and spoken to my son.'

He added he thought her comments were a throwaway remark and that he had no knowledge of her battle with depression at the time.

The inquest heard how Mrs Leyland had previously grappled with mental illness and had tried to take her own life once before.

In a statement her son Ben, who lives in America, said the encounter had left his mother 'panicked'.

'On September 30 she called me and it was clear to me from her tone of voice that she was panicking,' it read.

'She said "I have been tweeting about the McCanns, I have had a reporter from Sky News here and a report has gone to Scotland Yard"'.

'We discussed what action to take to avoid her name and picture appearing in the media.

'On October 2, I was aware the story had broken. I tried to contact my mother without success, I discussed with my dad and brothers going round to check she was OK.

'I got an email from mum on Wednesday saying she felt "cheerier".

'My mum has always struggled with depression and has undergone therapy and psychiatric treatment.

'I have been thinking a lot and have no doubt of the panic and fear in her voice, and think the Sky News report was the final straw.'

Recording a verdict of suicide, Senior Leicester Coroner Catherine Mason described Mrs Leyland as an 'intelligent and loving person'.

'She was aware she had come into the public eye. I have heard all guidelines were followed by Sky and Brenda invited Mr Brunt into her property.

'She was also kept informed of how the story would be run. I am satisfied that although Brenda Leyland did have a medical health history, others wouldn't necessarily have known she was suffering.

'Although she did mention wanting to take her own life, she then dismissed it.'

'She was upset by her public exposure in the media. She planned (her death) independently and had insight into her actions, so I therefore conclude a verdict of suicide.'

The cause of her death was given as asphyxiation due to gas inhalation.

A former psychiatric consultant of Mrs Leyland, Dr Kajetan Zakrewski, said the risk of self-harm had 'always' existed due to her state of mental health.

Following the coroner's verdict Sky News issued a statement expressing its condolences.

'The team at Sky News followed its editorial guidelines and pursued a story in a responsible manner that we believed was firmly in the public interest,' it read.

'Brenda Leyland's tragic death highlights the unforeseeable human impact that the stories we pursue can have, and Sky News would like to extend its sincere condolences to her family.'

Sky needs to take a good look at their editorial guidelines. It was entirely irresponsible of them to pursue a story about a non-case only because someone had turned in a dossier alleging some sort of behavior. At the time the story was being pursued, there was no case against Brenda, and therefore there should have been no story. They are implying that anytime someone reports something to police, it should be pursued with a vengeance without regard to the truth of the allegations or the well-being of those being pursued.

Marky wrote:

Judge Dread wrote:

Marky wrote:

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Just to clarify, could you please provide a link to any report by the police, (not the MSM), that states they were investigating or were going to begin investigating Brenda Leyland. (Not just Trolls in general)...

i'm not your research department but because it's you i'll let you in on a little secret. during the inquest detective sergeant steven Hutchins, from leicestershire police, confirmed that none of the tweets concerned amounted to a criminal offence. now, in order to reach that conclusion one must first undertake an...

So, no link to back up your claims... Now, there's a surprise...

Marky wrote:

Judge Dread wrote:

Marky wrote:

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Just to clarify, could you please provide a link to any report by the police, (not the MSM), that states they were investigating or were going to begin investigating Brenda Leyland. (Not just Trolls in general)...

i'm not your research department but because it's you i'll let you in on a little secret. during the inquest detective sergeant steven Hutchins, from leicestershire police, confirmed that none of the tweets concerned amounted to a criminal offence. now, in order to reach that conclusion one must first undertake an...

Leicestershire police were instructed to investigate the circumstances of BL's death etc by the coroner. Quoting their evidence at the inquest and presumably the conclusions of their investigation isn't indicative of any investigation prior to Brunt's doorstepping.

I notice in the Daily Mail report that Martin Brunt, when giving evidence at the inquest stated, ".......I am aware of the impact such a confrontation can have on somebody."

Even after Brenda told him she had thoughts of "ending it all", he considered her remark a "throwaway remark" and Sky aired the confrontation.

In Ontario (Canada), coroners are permitted to make recommendations. Such recommendations may not necessarily be acted upon but at least they form part of the final report. It's a pity the coroner in this case didn't read the riot act to Brunt (and Sky News) given that Brunt said he was aware of the impact such a confrontation can have on somebody and Brenda's thoughts afterwards. She might have suggested/recommended that in future more concern be given before confronting an ordinary citizen in such a manner; celebrities may be used to it but ordinary citizens who have not broken the law don't appreciate this type of confrontation - and to have it re-played on TV over and over again must have been torture for Brenda.

May she now rest in peace.

Judge Dread wrote:

Marky wrote:

Judge Dread wrote:

Marky wrote:

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Just to clarify, could you please provide a link to any report by the police, (not the MSM), that states they were investigating or were going to begin investigating Brenda Leyland. (Not just Trolls in general)...

i'm not your research department but because it's you i'll let you in on a little secret. during the inquest detective sergeant steven Hutchins, from leicestershire police, confirmed that none of the tweets concerned amounted to a criminal offence. now, in order to reach that conclusion one must first undertake an...

So, no link to back up your claims... Now, there's a surprise...

like i said, i'm not your research department but as it's you, again, here's another clue. bennett wrote a letter asking for information under the foi as a result of the statement.

Chris wrote:

Marky wrote:

Judge Dread wrote:

Marky wrote:

interested wrote:I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but my recollection is that Martin Brunt did tell  Brenda Leyland that she was being investigated by the police.  The inference from that would be that what she did was illegal when in fact what she did was not.

nope, what he said was correct but that was all. to suggest this meant otherwise is not only convenient but is an insult to all concerned. my guess is you watch too much television and by the sounds of it, the sort that fills the gaps between the commercials.

Just to clarify, could you please provide a link to any report by the police, (not the MSM), that states they were investigating or were going to begin investigating Brenda Leyland. (Not just Trolls in general)...

i'm not your research department but because it's you i'll let you in on a little secret. during the inquest detective sergeant steven Hutchins, from leicestershire police, confirmed that none of the tweets concerned amounted to a criminal offence. now, in order to reach that conclusion one must first undertake an...

Leicestershire police were instructed to investigate the circumstances of BL's death etc by the coroner. Quoting their evidence at the inquest and presumably the conclusions of their investigation isn't indicative of any investigation prior to Brunt's doorstepping.

but a police statement is. why don't you tag up with the jolly judge and go look for it.

oh, you're suggesting that the investigations into brenda leyland's death and if any of her tweets amounted to a criminal offence, are one and the same.

interested wrote:Blacksmith's latest "Seeing What's In Front of Our Eyes" pulls no punches.   www.blacksmithbureau.blogspot.com

Blacksmith has posted again (Sunday March 22nd) "Guilty...The Accusation...Aggravating Factors...Brunt Was Negligent...Brunt Was Reckless...Martin Brunt Killed Her" www.blacksmithbureau.blogspot.com

interested wrote:

interested wrote:Blacksmith's latest "Seeing What's In Front of Our Eyes" pulls no punches.   www.blacksmithbureau.blogspot.com

Blacksmith has posted again (Sunday March 22nd)  "Guilty...The Accusation...Aggravating Factors...Brunt Was Negligent...Brunt Was Reckless...Martin Brunt Killed Her"    www.blacksmithbureau.blogspot.com

yup, i read that and it's the most disgraceful piece of garbage i've read recently but hey, some will love it.

Thats blacksmiths attempt at courting his few remaining fans ! Surely there cannot be many left who still follow the drunken fool ?
Brenda commited suicide,her son knew of her problems.She planned it to the extent of booking into a Hotel room so as not to be found at home by friends or loved ones.planning to the extent of surfing the internet for the 'kindest' way to do it !

Blacksmith is a total idiot beyond any contempt and totally devoid of anything resembling intelligence.Give the twat a break.

Lioned wrote:Thats blacksmiths attempt at courting his few remaining fans ! Surely there cannot be many left who still follow the drunken fool ?
Brenda commited suicide,her son knew of her problems.She planned it to the extent of booking into a Hotel room so as not to be found at home by friends or loved ones.planning to the extent of surfing the internet for the 'kindest' way to do it !

Blacksmith is a total idiot beyond any contempt and totally devoid of anything resembling intelligence.Give the twat a break.

at heart you're still a footie hooligan. no messing with you. glad you're still around.

I might be a hooligan but i dont have umpteen different personalities and a fetish for trolling forums with multiple socks promoting rubbish !
Just a game for some now.

I still read Blacksmith's blog posts and will continue to do so.

If that makes me unpopular, I don't give a flying one ......