PSNI taking statements as action against Diane Dodds’ Twitter troll begins

Police investigating a vile Twitter message sent to Diane Dodds will be recording a statement from both the Upper Bann MLA and at least one other person targeted by the same account, Mrs Dodds has said.
By Mark Rainey
Published 4th Jan 2022, 11:31 BST
Updated 4th Jan 2022, 12:32 BST
Andrew Dodds, who died in 1998, pictured with his parents Nigel and Diane DoddsAndrew Dodds, who died in 1998, pictured with his parents Nigel and Diane Dodds
Andrew Dodds, who died in 1998, pictured with his parents Nigel and Diane Dodds

There was widespread revulsion after the anonymous account posted an abusive response to a photograph of Mrs Dodds, who is married to former DUP MP Nigel Dodds, on New Years Eve.

The Twitter troll made a sickening reference to the couple’s son Andrew, who was born with a serious illness and died just before his ninth birthday in 1998.

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Speaking on BBC Radio’s Nolan Show on Tuesday morning, Mrs Dodds described the message as “hugely harmful and hugely hurtful and damaging”.

She said: “I think the reaction to that tweet shows that all right-thinking people were disgusted, and disbelieving that someone could do something like that.

“People who set out to do this kind of thing, set out to harm, they are malicious and they are callous.

“They set out to do it in a way strikes at the very core of your being.

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“I think on this occasion they failed in that sense because the reaction to what happened was so strong.

“We should also recognise that this account has a pattern of abuse, and that pattern of abuse includes trolling innocent victims of terrorism.

“I later on today will give a statement to police about what happened on New Years Eve.

“I will be joined by a man who has been trolled relentlessly by this particular account.

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“That man lost his father – he was shot in the yard by republican terrorists – and this is the kind behaviour that innocent victims of terror have also been subjected to.”

Mrs Dodds added: “What is even more appalling in all of this is the actual inaction of the social media companies.

“When the tweet on New Years Eve was reported to Twitter, they came back and said it didn’t breach their rules.

“It’s really difficult to understand what kind of rules and format for protecting the public do social media companies have if tweets like this, and the many others that have been reported in a similar vein, do not breach their rules or standards.”

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Sammy Heenan, whose father William was murdered by the IRA near Castlewellan in 1985, has confirmed that he will also be making a statement to police on Tuesday regarding persistent abusive messages from the same Twitter account that targeted Mrs Dodds.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: “As the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further.”

READ: Diane Dodds: mocking my son’s death is beyond belief

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