What are the threats related to?
June 24th, 2012 at 10:00 am by David FarrarThe HoS reports:
A controversial lawyer has contacted police after receiving chilling death and rape threats over her fight to clear the name of a convicted murderer and rapist.
Except the threats are not over the fight to clear his name, it is over the charges laid against her for allegedly smuggling contraband to him.
Regardless it must be stressed any threats of violence are wrong and repugnant. Those who want to express their displeasure can do so without lowering themselves in such a way.
Davina Murray is crusading on behalf of Liam Reid, who is serving a 23-year sentence for brutally raping and slaying deaf woman Emma Agnew in Christchurch in 2007, and the rape, attempted murder and robbery of a 21-year-old student in Dunedin nine days later.
Murray, who is facing two charges of allegedly smuggling Reid an iPhone, cigarettes and a lighter at Mt Eden prison last October, visited Reid 80 times over nine months last year.
I suspect that is what had led to anger, rather than merely campaigning to “clear” his name.
Murray said she first received abuse from the same person in April, the day after she lost a bid for her continued name suppression at Auckland’s High Court over the smuggling allegations.
The first email, dated April 17, said: “You’re no better than he is. When you are sentenced you should get your wish and be chucked in the cell with the creep and you can find out first hand what he did to his victim.”
“I had told the High Court that releasing my name and that of Liam Reid could compromise my personal safety, but that was ignored,” she told the Herald on Sunday.
“Since then I have been used to people shouting things like ‘you smuggler’ at me when I am at work.
That is not a case for name suppression. That is a case for not smuggling things into prison (if the allegations are correct and hold up in court).
Related posts:
- Maori Party candidate charged with helping murderer
- Silly threats in the UK
- Threats are wrong but beware exagerrations
- Why we need a register of name supression orders
June 24th, 2012 at 10:14 am
Unfortunately, having seen the lady concerned on a 60-Minutes clip, words like ‘besotted’, ‘lost cause’ and ‘futile’ come to mind. For an apparently very intelligent individual her actions seem to be coloured more by heart than head. A waste really.
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 10:17 am
>Except the threats are not over the fight to chear his name, it is over the charges laid against her for ammelegdely smuggling contraband to him.
So what? They are disgusting, whatever she has done or not done.
>The first email, dated April 17, said: “You’re no better than he is.
And nor are those making the threats.
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Ah so breaking the law has consequences does it. oh dear and to think we the taxpayer spent god knows how much to educate this stupid bint.
Vote:Seems to have failed miserably.
Take her ticket off her just like the abusive drunken plonker from Hasting had happen.
June 24th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Even if she is found not guilty I will be surprised if the threats stop. The type of idiot who sends these kind of e-mails will not let the facts stand in the way of their bile and vitriol. That’s why she should have been allowed name suppression till after the trial. Innocent until PROVEN Guilty.
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Excuse me where are rape and death threats here, not even it direct speech quotes does she allege this, just shit made up by the herald , again.
How can being called ‘ smuggler’ be anything other than the truth for christs sake, what rubbish and if you saw the vacuous tart on TV last week you’d know its a sandwich short at the picnic
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 11:48 am
If Murray thinks Liam Reid is not a rapist and murderer, then being in a cell with him is not that much of a threat.
Personally, the guy’s been found guilty, he obviously raped that girl in Dunedin holding a rope around her neck and callously murdered poor Emma Agnew, stuffing a sock down her throat. I think he’s a fucking scary son of a bitch – I hope he dies in jail.
Those making the threats aren’t “just as bad” as a rapist like Liam Reid. Their response is understandable. It pisses me off that a lawyer thinks that she’s above the law, and can sneak stuff into prison with impunity, because”I feel he’s innocent”.
I don’t get how this lawyer could be so stupid. Reid’s probably a psychopath. Psychopaths are good liars, and often superficially charming. I can understand some fat, naive, and undereducated female visitor getting swayed and swindled by this piece of shit. But surely this lawyer has met criminals before, and should be used to the bullshit that flows so freely and effortlessly from these arseholes’ mouths.
Maybe she’s lonely, maybe it’s something to do with cognitive dissonance, maybe she’s just thick and always has been. Hopefully she loses her job and is never allowed to practise again after this breach of society’s trust.
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
This is only the second time I have heard of a lawyer trying to smuggle stuff into prison. A lawyer in Scotland was caught doing it several years age and was dealt with very harshly. This means that lawyers and their inmate clients will will suffer all sorts of inconveniences during visits including the possible need to impose ‘non contact’ visits. IMO such lawyers should be banned from prisons for ever.
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
We do not know if she is guilty. Maybe Reid distracted her with something while he went through her purse.M
Vote:June 24th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
News Flash. Everyone in prison is innocent just ask them.
Vote:As for the stupid cow has she admitted that she did it or claiming innocence.
A bit like that other stupid cow claiming that she thought she was carrying documents/drugs for her boyfriend.
The only thing they have in common is stupidity and the fact that they have both,probably never held a real job in there lives.
June 25th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Davina Murray on TV was just one of a string of women who for some incomprehensible reason fall for these evil men. A memorable one was a prison wedding (in Australia ?) He will be in for life – she was on the outside. They interviewed the bride who said she had fallen in love with him on first sight. She first saw him on TV as he was arrested for rape and murder. So she looked him up and started to visit him. Sad but true.
Vote:June 25th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
“You’re no better than he is. When you are sentenced you should get your wish and be chucked in the cell with the creep and you can find out first hand what he did to his victim.”
That’s a threat?
Vote: