Copyright manchestereveningnews
This is the moment a 'cruel' online troll who cyberstalked a motivational speaker and a successful businesswoman was arrested by police. Social media consultant Samantha Wall, 55, targeted Salford-born businessman and author Brad Burton and tech entrepreneur Naomi Timperley, from Sale , for several years using a variety of social media platforms. She began her ''unrelenting barrage of online abuse' against Mr Burton after meeting him for just two minutes at event in Birmingham in 2019. She falsely accused happily married Mr Burton of poisoning her cat, having affairs and of being a 'sexual predator and a bully' amongst other 'disturbing' entirely false and libellous accusations. Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp group HERE She claimed he harassed her over a period of a decade, had been raided by police and had gone to prison for nine years. She said that he had a 'psychopathic twin brother who was covering for him whilst he was in jail.' She also stalked Ms Timperley, with the court hearing she was 'harassed' over a period of three years, being bombarded with posts containing 'lies and defamation.' On September 4, 2022, Wall was arrested by PC Wayne Hasselby, who led the investigation for Greater Manchester Police (GMP). Wall, of Butterfield Close, Cheadle , was eventually jailed for two years and four months at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday (October 24), after admitting improper use of a public, electronic communication network and two counts of stalking. GMP has now released body-worn camera footage of the arrest. "What, you're arresting me now?", Wall can be heard to say as she is cautioned, and told her devices would be seized. The crown court was told that she 'responded to the caution saying she was the victim'. "The defendant admitted posting all the content about Mr Burton and making up lies with the intention of them getting back to him," Nicholas Flanagan, prosecuting, said. "She claimed she did so to protect herself and scare him off so that he would stop harassing her. She alleged the posts were aimed to raise awareness about how dangerous Mr Burton is and prevent others being hurt as she had been. "However, as soon as her bail expired she re-started the attacks across LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram." She was released on bail, the court was told, and 'was quiet' for a time on social media. She was prosecuted in 2023 and admitted the charges last November. Mr Burton told the court during her sentencing hearing on Friday: "At first, her claims seemed absurd, but she used her expertise as a social media marketer to amplify these lies, creating an undeniable tidal wave of harm and generated an almost a fanatical online fanbase who would tune in for the latest - made up – developments." He said her actions contributed to him having to put his primary business into liquidation. "The stress, sleepless nights, dread have pushed me to one of the darkest periods of my life. I felt helpless," he said. "Nobody could really understand the severity of what I was dealing with. I could do no more to make this all stop." Ms Timperley said: "For over two and a half years, I was hunted through hashtags, chased through timelines, cornered in comment sections - my name dragged through the dirt of digital spaces that once held community but became cages of cruelty. "And though there were no fists, no footsteps behind me in the dark, the harm ran deeper. Because this kind of violence doesn’t leave bruises you can see." Following the hearing, PC Hasselby said: “These types of cases are extremely traumatic for victims to go through. "Samantha Wall targeted her victims relentlessly for years, posting false and damaging messages to social media without reason. “Stalking is typically described as being fixated and persistent behaviour. The impact can often be underestimated, particularly if it’s online. "However, online stalking can leave victims and survivors fearful of every move they make, as they never know what these individuals are capable of, or whether they know they physical whereabouts. It is hard to escape online harassment, as so much of our lives are now online. “This particular campaign of harassment took a toll on her victims’ mental health and day to day life. I’m glad this has finally been put to an end, and they can now find some closure and move on with their lives. Samantha Wall must now pay the price for her actions. "I encourage those who think they are being harassed or stalked, whether that be online or physically, to get in touch with us. “We’re committed to putting a stop to these types of crimes and to bring charges against those who commit these awful offences.”
