Lisa Wilkinson called her rival a “dirty scumbag” and accused him of sleeping around behind his wife’s back
Lisa Wilkinson called her rival a “dirty scumbag” and accused him of sleeping around behind his wife’s back
A “tit for tat” Facebook feud crossed the line of the law after an elderly man was mercilessly trolled for months. Lisa Wilkinson, 46, called rival Edward Hampton an “old aged predator” and accused him of sleeping around behind his wife’s back during the six-month row, which took place on social media between February and July last year.
The pair had both been members of a Facebook group for Marmaris tourists, “MARM R US”, set up by Mr Hampton. Wilkinson had been an admin in the group, but then decided to join another identically-named group set up by a Turkish friend.
Using the name “Buster Wilko”, Wilkinson referred to Mr Hampton and his wife as “the Tramptons”, and alleged the 74-year-old “slept with drunk members while wifey sleeps like an old aged predator”. She called him a “dirty scumbag” and said other group members who stuck up for him were “just as vile and brainwashed by the Tramptons”.
She also sent him private messages of pictures of both his and his wife’s passports, warning him “Never mind when I’m abroad, worry about when you go, dirty old aged predator”. She also wrote: “Your passport screenshots are already given to the relevant authorities. Enjoy your next holiday old aged predator.
“Keep sleeping around behind your wife’s back you little racist wrong un you can’t come back to Marmaris now ripping Turkish businesses off.”
She appeared at Sefton Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 25, where she pleaded not guilty to harassment. Giving evidence, Mr Hampton said the barrage of abusive posts had left him feeling “terrible”.
He said: “Disgusting posts were put on, then there would be 50 to 100 people jumping in saying ‘that’s terrible, he’s a predator, I didn’t know that’.
“They didn’t even know me. But every day something was posted. I did give the police 27 screenshots calling me a paedophile, calling me a pervert, down the same line all the time.”
He said he had been faithfully married for 46 years, and had never ripped off any businesses “that he was aware of”, but admitted he would enjoy some perks such as free drinks in hotels as a result of his Facebook group, which had several thousand members.
He said the messages containing his and his wife’s passports had resulted in the couple having to cancel and order new ones to the cost of £86 each. They also cancelled an £860 holiday to Turkey they had booked out of fear of what had been said about them.
Wilkinson, of Mount Road, Kirkby, admitted making the posts, but said she had done so “in self defence” as she believed Mr Hampton had made comments about her anonymously online, including body-shaming her on a “love rat” website. She also claimed he had “pulled his pants down and put his a**e in her face with his b**** hanging and thought it was a joke”.
In court, she said Mr Hampton had been using his Facebook group “as a business” and had been controlling on group holidays, saying: “He would want to go places they chose where he gets his meals and drinks free. He wouldn’t let me recommend things.”
She said: “It’s not revenge at all. He put posts on his group about me. This is me defending myself. It’s self defence… sticking up for myself against a narcissist, a manipulator, a gas-lighter.”
But prosecutor Craig Welsby said there was no evidence that Mr Hampton had been the source of any anonymous comments about her. He said: “The behaviour was improper, oppressive and unreasonable conduct. The defendant doesn’t have any problem with what she’s posted. She says she made these in response to comments made towards her.
“She hasn’t given any copies of these comments she is speaking about. She accepts it was anonymous posts, but she believes it is the complainant because of what was said.
“The defendant accepts she sent the comments accusing the complainant of being someone who is a predator, that has sex with drunk women, and has put this on a forum that 2,500 people have access to.
“I have asked in what way it is self defence. All I had have is the view that it’s tit for tat. It doesn’t justify this behaviour… Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Harvey Appleby, defending, said Wilkinson was just one of many people making similar comments on Facebook. But Mr Welsby said: “There’s quite clearly a dispute in the background and the defendant is posting comments and sending messages accusing the complainant of being a predator on at least two occasions. Does it matter if the defendant is the leader or not? No it doesn’t.
“What matters is the defendant accepts in this case she embarked on a course of conduct that was unreasonable, that was oppressive. There was a targeted victim.”
Mr Appleby said: “This is an unfortunate case where heaven in Turkey has turned into a social media hellhole. Ms Wilkinson doesn’t shy away from her comments but what has to be considered is the context.
“(Mr Hampton) ran the social media page like it was a personal domain for him to control and when people took umbrage and started a new group it has led to this. It was tit for tat.
“This is a case where all parties involved I’m sure, with the benefit of hindsight, would have conducted themselves in a manner that was different if given the chance.”
Finding Wilkinson guilty of harassment, the magistrate said: “Ms Wilkinson accepts what she said in this case and she accepts these caused alarm and distress. We acknowledge she believes the posts to be retaliatory, however there has been a series of conduct as there have been multiple entries targeted at an individual that would likely cause distress. We do not feel the conduct was reasonable.”
Wilkinson was bailed and will appear for sentence at Liverpool Magistrates Court on May 9.