A British detective has said that people should “think twice” before discussing about crimes on social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook, as they are increasingly hampering major police investigations.
Norfolk Police Detective Chief Inspector Jes Fry spoke after a 50-year old man, Michael Tucker, was jailed for 26 years at Norwich Crown Court for murdering his 28-year old partner, Rebecca Thorpe, and hiding her body in a freezer. Fry said that during the investigation there was widespread speculation on Twitter about the circumstances of the killing. Rumours included untrue speculation that Thorpe had been decapitated.
"I would just urge members of the public to exercise caution when talking about a major crime like this. It is the same as gossip down the pub except amplified by a thousands times,” The Daily Mail quoted Fry, as saying. "I have come across social media being used in this way in the past, but this is the first time it has had such serious implications on our investigations” he added.
