Facebook vigilante fear for assaulted great-grandad

The family of a man beaten in his own home fear vigilantes may scupper the case against his alleged attacker.

Agnes McMahon posted a message on Facebook asking people to remove any threatening messages about the assault on her dad Daniel Martin.

Her plea came after tens of thousands of people shared a photo on the site which claimed to identify his alleged attacker, Lyndsay Stirling, along with a menacing message.

Police said they were aware of the issue and are looking into it.

Lawyers now say a member of Mr Martin’s family could even be arrested if they’re found guilty of posting the photo and messages.

Stirling, 27, is alleged to have assaulted great-grandad Daniel, 80, while trying to steal from his house in Easterhouse, Glasgow, on New Year’s Day.

The attack came after Daniel spent Hogmanay with his family a few doors away and returned home shortly after midnight. He spent several days in hospital and is covered in bruises.

Stirling appeared from custody at Glasgow Sheriff Court for a private hearing on Friday, January 3. She was charged with assault to severe injury with intent to rob and a further charge of assault to injury. She made no plea and was released.

Shortly afterwards a person claiming to be one of Daniel’s grandchildren posted a photo on Facebook which they identified as Stirling.

It was accompanied by an angry message stating: “This vile individual is the one who left my grandad near to dead. Yet she is free to roam our streets on bail. I hope she has the ability to grow eyes in the back of her head. Please read and share to name and shame this scumbag.”

Within days the message was shared on the Facebook profiles of more than 15,000 people. It also went up on a Facebook page set up for people living in Daniel’s neighbourhood. The photo prompted messages urging people to find Stirling and take revenge.

One person said people they knew would “rip her apart” while another wrote “let the family sort her out or who ever gets to her first”.

A message on the Easterhouse page later showed someone had reported the image to Facebook administrators for “harassment”. Daniel’s daughter Agnes then took to Facebook asking people to remove any threatening messages in case it harmed the family’s quest for justice.

She wrote: “I have been asked to advise everyone to delete any threatening comments or any that can be taken as threatening off Facebook as it could effect [sic] the court case.”

John Kydd, a lawyer with legal firm Thorntons, said the person behind the post could have broken the law.

He said: “My view is whoever posted this could be charged with a breach of section 127 of the Communications Act.”

The case against Stirling continues.