Girls Aloud 'murder' blogger cleared
Man cleared of obscenity charge
A man who wrote a fictional blog depicting the kidnapping and murder of Girls Aloud has been cleared of publishing an obscene article.
Former civil servant Darryn Walker, 35, was arrested in February 2008 after the Internet Watch Foundation became aware of the blog, entitled 'Girls (Scream) Aloud'.
He was formally charged last October, but Walker was cleared today (June 29) at Newcastle Crown Court by Judge Esmond Faulks.
His defence had argued that the blog was not easily accessible online, reports BBC News.
Defence lawyer Tim Owen QC said: "It was never his intention to frighten or intimidate the members of Girls Aloud.
"He had written what he had described as an adult celebrity parody and was only meant to be for an audience of like-minded people."
A consultant psychiatrist in the case added that it was "baseless" to suggest a link between reading blogs such as Walker's and subsequent violent behaviour.
Former civil servant Darryn Walker, 35, was arrested in February 2008 after the Internet Watch Foundation became aware of the blog, entitled 'Girls (Scream) Aloud'.
He was formally charged last October, but Walker was cleared today (June 29) at Newcastle Crown Court by Judge Esmond Faulks.
His defence had argued that the blog was not easily accessible online, reports BBC News.
Defence lawyer Tim Owen QC said: "It was never his intention to frighten or intimidate the members of Girls Aloud.
"He had written what he had described as an adult celebrity parody and was only meant to be for an audience of like-minded people."
A consultant psychiatrist in the case added that it was "baseless" to suggest a link between reading blogs such as Walker's and subsequent violent behaviour.
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