Teen guilty of false Bulger killer allegation

A teenage boy has been convicted of spreading false rumours about the identity and whereabouts of Robert Thompson, one of the killers of toddler James Bulger, who is now living under a new name after serving an eight-year sentence.

Nineteen-year-old Wayne Vincent Dale, of the Isle of Man, is believed to be the first person convicted of making such groundless claims. Last October he sent a message on Facebook in which he tried to unmask a local superstore worker on the Isle of Man as Robert Thompson. 

The rumour quickly spread on the social networking site and internet message boards and police were soon alerted. Officers were able to trace the message to Dale who was arrested and charged with using 'provoking behaviour'. 

Police said Dale had also made the same spurious accusation in a face-to-face encounter with the B&Q employee on the same day, October 30, that he wrote the claim on Facebook. Dale also admitted theft after he stole £1,100 from a house where his girlfriend lived.

The case mirrors that of David Calvert. He was targeted earlier this year by a malicious group of 2,000 Facebook users, who claimed the 27-year-old was Jon Venables, the other Bulger murderer recalled to jail last month after breaching the terms of his release. Calvert was forced to speak out publicly to deny the claim after news of Venables's recall caused a media furore.

Although the Isle of Man has its own legal system, Manx law is closely based on the principles of English common law meaning Dale's case could set a precedent for those making false accusations in future. ·