55-year-old woman jailed for two years and four months after online harassment campaign involving false accusations and defamatory social media posts against two individuals leading to business collapse and mental health issues

Summary

Samantha Wall, 55, was jailed for two years and four months at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on October 24 after subjecting Brad Burton, 52, and Naomi Timperley, 53, to years of online harassment and false accusations. Wall met Burton at an event in 2019 for just two minutes before launching a four-year campaign of posting false claims about him on social media, including accusations of poisoning her cat, being a sex offender, and having a "psychopathic twin brother." She also harassed Timperley for around three years with defamatory posts. Both victims described the impact as devastating, with Burton’s business collapsing and both suffering severe mental health issues requiring medication. Wall initially denied the charges but changed her plea before the trial began in November 2023.