That picture of the Southport killer

[User09678]

That has been circulating today.

Remember that sweet boy that was in all the reports at the time? The one who looked about nine?

Can anyone think of any other serious criminal who has pictures of them as a child out in the press?

I was thinking that, we were shown pics of a sweet young schoolboy in his uniform. When actually he looked like a more mental version of crusty the clown. Why were we shown those school uniform pics? Why were they trying to make us feel sympathy for him?

I would imagine it was the only one they had. The police won't release one before trial.

You think the press are in the business of generating sympathy for people of colour who have murdered children?

It was probably the only/most recent picture in the public domain when they were writing their original stories.

perhaps to prompt the question

how did that sweet little boy end up committing this horrific crime

surely worth thinking about

Well he was a child when he committed his crime (17 to be exact).

And probably because it prompts the question: how does a quiet, introverted, choirboy from a stable family, develop serious behaviour problems at 13 and commit mass murder all before he is even an adult.

When I say the picture I thought this just fuels all the right wing stuff. People will say "why post a photo of an innocent looking boy"?

I was shocked at that picture. It’s terrifying, like something from a horror movie.

There won’t have been an official picture released, so this might be the only confirmed photo of him - probably the only one taken by a professional photographer and friends / family weren’t selling photos.

I think it's incorrect to think there's a motive behind which pictures were "released". Before the guilty plea the press would be using any pictures they could find in the public domain. Once the guilty verdicts were given the police are able to release the images from the arrest. That's all it is.

I'm more concerned with who decided to have that trial today to hide it against the inauguration of Trump,
And what the Prime Minister and Home Secretary knew about this evil person, when they knew it and what they decided to tell the public.

Nobody was trying to generate sympathy by showing his regular pics.

There is no trial.

He has pled guilty.

The photo that's been released now seems deliberately scary.

The fact there were red flags is awful.

Yes but the conspiracy theorists won’t buy this….

I imagine it was the only one the press could get their hands on, he doesn't sound like he was a particularly cooperative teenager wanting to take happy pictures with his parents and he didn't seem to have any friends/peers that would typically have photos of him.

His parents background sounds interesting and something to look at regarding his MH at least.

It's clear there were many warning signs and that very little was done and of that nothing very helpful.

What did you want them to do? Add some horns and a tail?

The crime is devastatingly awful and there is no photo that could have me go, 'that makes sense when you look at his hair..'

They genuinely do think the press is favourable in how it represents brown and black people when the opposite is true! 😀

I agree they just used pics available in the public doman.

Reminded me of the photo of the Nottingham killer and that Moroccan asylum seeker who murdered that elderly man in Hartlepool - same crazed but also somehow blank expression.

The families were not all in court today as the trial wasn't expected to start properly till tomorrow. They weren't hiding anything behind the inauguration.

This is a really good point. It's easy to jump to another view when this could entirely explain that.

Because they posted what was available.

I'm failing to see what you point is.
Tbh until I saw your thread and googled the photo I'd not seen any photo of the Southport killer at any point.
He was arrested and on trial for the crimes and not for his appearance or for his photo.

What do you think they would possibly know about a 17 year old teen who was by all accounts a loner?

@JHound I haven't said they didn't but are you saying it doesn't fuel the right?