Luke Mitchell was found guilty - slinging mud at Jodi Jones' family is desperateRecord columnist Jane Hamilton says those peddling half-truths about Jodi's murder are just adding to her family's heartache.
By Jane Hamilton
04:30, 1 MAY 2021
I’m loath to revisit this issue again because I feel the family of Jodi Jones have had enough but I’ll say it again for the hard of thinking – Luke Mitchell was found guilty of murder by a jury and sentenced to life imprisonment.
It shouldn’t need repeating.
But next Saturday there will be a protest by Mitchell’s supporters yet again demanding he be declared innocent.
For the family of Jodi, this is nothing more than a heartbreaking attack on his victim’s memory.
They have spoken to the Daily Record this week to plead that those peddling half-truths and slurs take a step back and consider the facts of the case.
Once more for those at the back – collectively, the Scottish justice system believes it has the right person for the crime he was charged with and is serving his time.
Four FAILED appeals including an independent Miscarriage of Justice investigation. Case closed. Done, dusted, finished.
And for the people who accuse journalists of turning a blind eye to the plight of an “innocent man” banged up for a crime he didn’t do, let me say this (yet again) – we have examined the case a gazillion times over the years and come up with nothing new.
There is no smoking gun, no “eureka” moment of uncovering a startling bit of new evidence that exonerates him.
The “new evidence” put forward by Luke’s supporters has been poured over time and again – but the conclusion remains the same.
Potential other people of interest were a factor of the original investigation and alternative suspects were traced, interviewed and eliminated from having the potential to be culpable.
Accusations of police corruption, collusion and personal insults have been winging their way to Daily Record towers daily.
Trust me, if you want a journalist to take your claims or suspicions seriously, here’s a wee tip - aggression, angst, insults and threats is not the way to do it.
Slinging mud at the innocent family of a murder victim to see if it sticks is also not a good way to change hearts or minds. If anything, it makes you look pathetically desperate.
The comments I’ve seen directed at the Jones family make me despair for the human race at times.
Where is the compassion and empathy for what they have been through?
Why can’t the supporters of Mitchell articulate their support for him and his family without dragging the Jones family down?
Oh yeah, because they’re among the dozens of suspects being bandied about by the Facebook sleuths. [Insert rolling eye emoji here].
But, hey, we live in a democracy and the beauty of that is we are free to have our own opinions and thoughts.
We can demonstrate and exercise our right to freedom of speech.
If you believe a miscarriage of justice has been done, you’re well within your rights to set up petitions, marches, videos and take to social media to put forward your case.
Such is our freedom that even a convicted murderer is allowed to protest his innocence on national television and take a lie detector test.
Nobody is denying you the right to bang your drum about your cause or your beliefs.
With social media, everyone can shout into the void – but while you’re screaming about innocence remember he had the best legal counsel in the country who did their damnedest for him and he has had the privilege of multiple legal options to have his case reviewed.
The life and voice of Jodi Jones has been lost to the world forever – remember that.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/luke-mitchell-found-guilty-murder-24016568