Man held over Suffolk murders

[Ringo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering five women whose bodies were found at sites around the Ipswich area.
Supermarket worker Tom Stephens was arrested by police at his home at Trimley St Martin, near Felixstowe.

****************

[paul_oshea]

is that really his myspace? i dont think you should be posting that up?!?!

[Dodge]

As reported by the Guardian


http://www.guardian.co.uk/suffolkmur...970469,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/suffolkmur...974747,00.html

He was named by the BBC. Interviewed in yesterday's Sunday mirror
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...lk/6189409.stm

[drinkfeckarse]

Is it just me or does anyone else find it inherently wrong that his identity has been revealed before he's been charged with anything??

I'm not making any assumptions of guilt or innocence but if he's totally innocent then his life is basically fcuked now anyway.

[Dodge]

Agreed. The BBC were first to name him. Unusually loose by them.

2nd man arrested today. No sign of his bebo page yet

[pete]

Is it just me or does anyone else find it inherently wrong that his identity has been revealed before he's been charged with anything??

I'm not making any assumptions of guilt or innocence but if he's totally innocent then his life is basically fcuked now anyway.

Absolutely. If somehow they are released everyone will assume they got off on technicality.

Surprised by the Guardian posting MySpace links as lets face it anyone could open a page on that site claiming to be someone else. I am not saying thats the case but its always possible...

I think the media reporting has been very poor. IMO Headlines such as dead prostitues & hookers as opposed to murdered women as very poor. If they were cleaners would they described as dead cleaners? Surely they were just women?

[joeSoap]

Agreed. The BBC were first to name him. Unusually loose by them.

I think you'll find that the Sunday Mirror were first to name him, and that they also paid him for the story.

[Dodge]

I think you'll find that the Sunday Mirror were first to name him, and that they also paid him for the story.

Mirror just interviewed a bloke (after he had gone to them). No one was arrested at that stage. (i.e standard tabloid stuff)

BBC named the guy arrested. (i.e. opening up themselves if he's proved innocent)

[joeSoap]

BBC named the guy arrested. (i.e. opening up themselves if he's proved innocent)

How exactly? The BBC named the man that was arrested in connection with the killings. This same man openly gave an interview to the Mirror on Sunday where he admitted to being the prime suspect. He also admitted that he was expecting to be arrested.

The BBC followed it up by simply saying that the self-proclaimed prime suspect had been arrested in connectio to the crime. Nothing libellous in that as the guy's name was already in the public domain on Saturday evening because of the early publication of the paper.

[Aberdonian Stu]

They are safe and for most of the reasons outlined save one.

His name being in the public domain prior to arrest isn't enough in the eyes of the law, he has to have allowed it enter the public domain himself (which in this instance he did).

Had he not and the BBC still ran the story they would be potentially open to a suit as legally speaking they were still in the wrong (under both British and Irish law) despite the name being made widely known by another source.

Nothing to worry about in this instance but given how the Current Affairs section deals with a lot of issues with legal ramifications I thought it would make sense to point it out.

[Ringo]

Supermarket worker Tom Stephens, 37 — arrested on suspicion of the murders on Monday and released on police bail on Thursday — is understood to be staying in a safe house while inquiries continue.

thought it was a bit strange he's still on bail & not just free.