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Original poster

Are we allowed to talk about Peter Faulding?

203 replies

Sep200024 · 19/02/2023 18:32

I just can’t understand what he was thinking??

On the one hand, very kindly donating his time and expertise.

On the other hand, he turned this case into a circus.

His categorical declarations sent people wild with speculation. It’s awful, and I just can’t understand why he did it.

OP posts:
louise5754 · 19/02/2023 22:58

Did he say she's definitely not in the water or just not in the part he searched?

Enidcat5 · 19/02/2023 22:59

What a nasty thread this is. Someone has lost their life, and Nicola's family are in hell waiting to find out if the body is her.

None of you know what happened, none of you know whether an industry expert was right or not, because you literally don't know what happened. You're dragging someone's name through the mud, when you've no idea what happened and none of this is helpful to the poor family involved.

Fastingstarted · 19/02/2023 22:59

Has anyone Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Sheppard? A book which did very well, but talked about the career of a pathologist and covered his work -towards the end. It wasn’t the entire focus- in notable cases towards the end, like 9-11 and the tsunami.

I have no doubt that Peter Faulding’s book was an attempt at recreating this. The Apple bookstore has been hammering me with recommendations for it, just before I had the misfortune of knowing who PF was.

It’s notable to me that he has come out and said he believes the spy in the bag case had to be foul play. Whilst that case is wild, many notable people involved -including the pathologist mentioned above, who performed a post-mortem on him- have stated they don’t believe this to be true. What knowledge of it does PF have? He seems to have form for shouting from the sidelines.

PF has named dropped all these cases like April Jones, but his personal involvement is far from clear. Notably others involved aren’t shouting it from the roof tops to sell a book.

He’s shameless and whilst we have no say in who works with him privately, I’d be horrified to learn police continue to use his services.

pigsinoodies · 19/02/2023 23:00

louise5754 · 19/02/2023 22:58

Did he say she's definitely not in the water or just not in the part he searched?

Both, and other things. But she was in the part of the water that he searched.

lljkk · 19/02/2023 23:02

IMO Was a full circus long before PF got involved.

pigsinoodies · 19/02/2023 23:05

lljkk · 19/02/2023 23:02

IMO Was a full circus long before PF got involved.

'Lomg before' six days?

Mirabai · 19/02/2023 23:16

Enidcat5 · 19/02/2023 22:59

What a nasty thread this is. Someone has lost their life, and Nicola's family are in hell waiting to find out if the body is her.

None of you know what happened, none of you know whether an industry expert was right or not, because you literally don't know what happened. You're dragging someone's name through the mud, when you've no idea what happened and none of this is helpful to the poor family involved.

I totally agree. The trolls are either attacking her family casting aspersions about her husband, or they’re attacking someone the family brought in to help search for her.

Nimrod12 · 19/02/2023 23:26

He owns the business. And yes, I do believe his business will suffer based on his ardent speculations that turned out to be false. I also think his equipment isn't as good as he says it is. He is also now backtracking on not checking the reeds. Ffs.... that would be any person's go to when a person's suspected of having fallen into a river. Its not like the victim jumped into the middle of the river.... she would always have been close to the bank depending of course on the strength of any tidal areas.

My heat goes out to the family and friends right now and this guy needs to shut his mouth. This isn't all about him and any publicity he sought to gain has pretty much been delivered to him on a platter for every wrong reason.

BoreOfWhabylon · 19/02/2023 23:29

I would not be at all surprised to learn that PF approached the family initially, rather than the other way about

pigsinoodies · 19/02/2023 23:31

Nimrod12 · 19/02/2023 23:26

He owns the business. And yes, I do believe his business will suffer based on his ardent speculations that turned out to be false. I also think his equipment isn't as good as he says it is. He is also now backtracking on not checking the reeds. Ffs.... that would be any person's go to when a person's suspected of having fallen into a river. Its not like the victim jumped into the middle of the river.... she would always have been close to the bank depending of course on the strength of any tidal areas.

My heat goes out to the family and friends right now and this guy needs to shut his mouth. This isn't all about him and any publicity he sought to gain has pretty much been delivered to him on a platter for every wrong reason.

It's not that she entered at the edge - everything gets caught on the reeds at the edge, and specifically at the bends, of a river.

Apologies to anyone who finds that distasteful (I do a bit) but it's true.

MucozadeOnLucozade · 19/02/2023 23:53

Guys it might be that she was tragically put there after the guy searched the water. It's all a horrible situation.

pigsinoodies · 19/02/2023 23:56

MucozadeOnLucozade · 19/02/2023 23:53

Guys it might be that she was tragically put there after the guy searched the water. It's all a horrible situation.

It's highly unlikely but even if that's the case it wouldn't make his actions over the last two weeks any more acceptable.

There can be no excuses for the way he's behaved.

Nimrod12 · 20/02/2023 00:23

Either way it is a tragic tale and one that I hope the family can one day see a light. What a sad ending and an appalling investigation from start to finish.
I can only imagine what they must be feeling right now and my heartfelt kind wishes go out to them. X

NellyIrrelephant · 20/02/2023 00:56

He acted unprofessionally and has a book to promote.
Ironic that his behaviour and failure to find Nicola, despite being so cocky about his expertise, will/should backfire on him professionally.

Alliswells · 20/02/2023 00:57

BoreOfWhabylon · 19/02/2023 23:29

I would not be at all surprised to learn that PF approached the family initially, rather than the other way about

That's a exactly what happened!
He was being interviewed by a news program as a so called expert and said if they asked him he would help with his team and equipment for free. He said if she was in the river he'd find her.
Then after searching he she if she wasn't in the river, she might have run away with a lover etc. He was the loudest speculative voice and threw quite a few speculative theories out there. All while criticising the police of course

XelaM · 20/02/2023 01:24

How embarrassing for him and how stupid to make such categorical statements about being able to find her in a day or her not being in the river. Did he not think it could backfire?

YouOKHun · 20/02/2023 01:29

GCAcademic · 19/02/2023 20:17

As a brown woman, I have to say that accusing a white woman, who is dead and was clearly struggling while alive, of having “privilege” is pretty disgusting.

I couldn’t agree with you more @GCAcademic. What has happened is a human tragedy and I found the comment about Nicola’s “privilege” one of the most offensive things I’ve read on MN. I hope none of her friends and loved ones are reading this thread.

Neverknowinglyunderbold · 20/02/2023 01:42

YouOKHun · 20/02/2023 01:29

I couldn’t agree with you more @GCAcademic. What has happened is a human tragedy and I found the comment about Nicola’s “privilege” one of the most offensive things I’ve read on MN. I hope none of her friends and loved ones are reading this thread.

Show quote history

But that’s not what the poster is saying and you know it. It’s unclear what the colour of your skin has to do with it or what extra validity you think it gives your comment.

The poster is right: this level of attention is never given to missing women of working class backgrounds or women from ethnic minorities. That is a fact. This is not about anything Nicola has done but rather the way society works and the biases that run through it.

Getting outrage about this sad fact that not all women are equal in the sight of society is itself outrageous because it means we can never achieve progress when people like you gaslight and deny reality.

All that said, the outcome is sad. Everyone wanted Nicola to be found safe. I am so devastated for her children.

Musicpenny11 · 20/02/2023 01:42

The only thread I can find on oeter faulding. He is self promoting with also a book out. He 100% checked that stretch of area, telling us if Nicola was there He would know 100%. Afterward he guaranteed 100% she was not there. He has used insults, been uncaring and thoughtless. He was right about the 100%. He is a 100% jerk. I guarantee he will be making a 100% stupid statement soon more in detail. On his Google review a fellow river diver for the police said they were glad he left dats after

Somethingneedstochange78 · 20/02/2023 03:04

He shouldn't have spoken to the media. I've lost count of how many I've seen saying she's been put there. They haven't confirmed it's her yet.

Mummyoflittledragon · 20/02/2023 03:31

mattymc13 · 19/02/2023 22:50

Hello. I just stumbled upon this. I have worked with the gentleman in question on two separate occasions. He is about as useful as a fire extinguisher during a forest fire.

In what capacity have you worked with him?

Fraaahnces · 20/02/2023 03:47

He does sound a bit like Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter movies

Are we allowed to talk about Peter Faulding?
Huddersfieldlass · 20/02/2023 06:06

I think he was trying to help, but seemed to want to promote his company and himself at the same time which wasn't professional. It looked like the police needed support searching the river and he offered. Although I think he was very self promoting, if the police were going to use his services they should have informed him at the very least that she could have committed suicide or added risks they didn't need to go into lots of detail. It may have made a difference, also think he's got into interviews because the police haven't handed the media as well as they could have done in this case. There's lots of other high profile crimes sadly but this seems to have gone wrong somewhere.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 20/02/2023 06:55

@Huddersfieldlass I believe it was the family who asked for his assistance and not the police. His presence and comments were unprofessional, deeply unhelpful and just fuelled further speculation.

Newwardrobe · 20/02/2023 06:58

If PF was as experienced as he said he was, he shouldn't have had to have all the possibilities spelt out to him.