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A motivational speaker and a tech entrepreneur who fell victim to a "cruel" cyberstalker have shared their ordeal, revealing how a 'relentless campaign of lies' tarnished their reputations and left them feeling "hopeless". Samantha Wall, 55, subjected Brad Burton, 52, an entrepreneur and author, and businesswoman Naomi Timperley, 53, to what they described as a "modern day witch hunt". After a brief encounter with Mr Burton at an event in 2019, Wall, from Stockport, began spreading a 'barrage' of false accusations about the Salford-born businessman across various social media platforms. Over four years, she falsely accused the innocent and happily married Mr Burton of poisoning her cat, having affairs, and being a sex offender, among other entirely false and libellous claims. Incredibly, she also accused Mr Burton of 'harassing and abusing' her over a decade, before later falsely claiming that he had been raided by the police and issued with a 'stalking protection order', reports the Manchester Evening News . She even claimed that he had served nine years in prison and that he had a 'psychopathic twin brother who was covering for him whilst he was in jail.' Ms Timperley, from Sale, was also 'harassed' by Wall for around three years. Ms Timperley was bombarded with posts containing "lies and defamation". Wall was eventually prosecuted in 2023. Wall, from Butterfield Close in Cheadle, Stockport, originally pleaded not guilty to improper use of a public electronic communication network and two stalking charges. However, she changed her pleas when her trial was scheduled to start in November last year. She received a two-year and four-month prison sentence at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday, 24 October. Judge Neil Usher acknowledged Wall was suffering from a 'chronic and enduring delusional disorder' but stated 'although it may go some way to explain your behaviour, it cannot completely explain it, nor does it excuse it.' Prior to sentencing, both Mr Burton and Ms Timperley gave evidence from the witness box, reading victim personal statements detailing the devastating consequences Wall's offences had inflicted upon their lives. Mr Burton said: "For four plus years, her relentless campaign of lies, harassment and character assassination has dominated every corner of our existence, mentally, emotionally, financially, and digitally. "As a motivational speaker and business owner, my reputation is my livelihood. I spent decades building a career from nothing, establishing a nationwide business network in the UK, writing books and inspiring thousands. "But Sam's fabricated accusations, calling me a convicted violent offender, fraud, stalker, have tarnished my name, eroded trust and devastated my family's sense of security. "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. "Anyone searching online for me, would also find her posts, accusations and attacks." He explained that a group of approximately 200 business professionals he was mentoring 'collapsed overnight after she convinced someone to infiltrate it.' Furthermore, owing to a 'perfect storm' of the pandemic and his 'daily focus being dominated by dealing with her attacks', he was forced to place his main business into insolvency. "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." Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here . Ms Timperley told the court: "My peace was stolen piece by piece, post by post, message by message until even silence felt unsafe. "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. "It lives beneath the skin in the racing heart, in the sleepless nights, in the fear that flickers every time my phone lights up. "The internet was weaponised against me. "Used to intimidate, to control, to humiliate. "Pinned at the top of profiles. Poison at the top of the page. Defamatory words, like stains that won't wash out. "Still there for the world to see. Still there every time I search my own name. "And what does that do? To a person's work, to their reputation, to their sense of self? It takes years to build a name and seconds to destroy it. "And when that destruction is public, when it's shared and liked and amplified, it echoes through every corner of your life. "My family have seen it," she added. "My friends have felt it. My colleagues have watched me try to hold it all together, and I've watched the hurt in their eyes as they saw how this broke me." Both victims revealed they had been prescribed medication for mental health issues stemming from Wall's abuse. Outside court following the hearing, Mr Burton said they had both been 'vilified' as part of a 'modern-day witch hunt.' "It's been a zero-sum game," he said. "And for many, many years we have been unheard victims. "The nature of social media is, you put any horrendous allegations and people just scroll past it. "But I couldn't defend myself in case I jeopardised the case." Ms Timperley described it as a 'lengthy process' during which 'we have had to stay silent throughout.' She explained they had been forced to 'fight for justice all of the way' and found it 'exhausting.' She expressed that she felt it was 'important' Wall received a prison sentence. Mr Burton stated he hoped Wall's imprisonment marked 'the end of a difficult chapter in my life'. Nevertheless, he argued, it should 'never have got to this stage. "The most difficult bit about this has been the social media companies," he said. "They could have pressed a button, instantly, and we could have avoided all this. "This isn't any joke," he continued, discussing the toll on his own mental wellbeing. "This could have had tragic consequences". He branded the companies 'lawless' and accused them of 'hiding behind bigness', adding: "They should use this opportunity to make change." He warned that the emergence of AI meant society was 'heading into unchartered waters' regarding online safety and that you 'have a 1980s police force dealing with a 2025 problem.' Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that 'ever since these reports were made, we have supported the victims.' PC Wayne Hasselby, who headed the investigation for the force, stated: "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."
