Blatchford Nails “Twitter Troll” Case, But Misses One Important Point (Feat. Gregory Alan Elliott)

Stephanie Guthrie

Stephanie Guthrie: Social Justice Princess

Yesterday marked the closing remarks of Gregory Alan Elliott’s trial. The best single word I can think of to describe the charges against him is “creepy”. The hardest evidence presented against him was testimony from alleged victim Stephanie Gurhrie saying he made her feel “creepy”. Elliott originally had three accusers until one dropped-out in the middle of the trial- the case against him has looked increasingly weak ever since.

The creepiest part of Elliott’s charges is that they actually made it to court- Toronto Detective Jeff Bangild testified that Elliott never made threats, sexual innuendo, or anything else of the sort. It was equally creepy listening to Guthrie testifying how she felt she was justified putting another man’s life at risk of harm in one of her many slacktivist campaigns against people she disagrees with.

I’ve been following this trial closely but was unable to make it to the courtroom yesterday. Christie Blatchford has been doing an outstanding job covering the story. She’s been brutally honest towards to both sides, but kept her eye on what’s most important about this trial- it’s a test of people’s freedom to communicate online. I recommend reading her take on what happened yesterday.

There’s only one thing I think Blatchford missed- the trial has already had a significant fallout for free speech. Elliott has been banned from using the Internet for over three years, simply because vigilante social justice warrior called him “creepy”. If claims that Elliott’s accusers were politically motivated to get him offline are true then they’ve already won.

What could be creepier than that?

An ugly chapter in Toronto history...

An ugly chapter in Toronto history…

 

Permanent link to this article: http://www.genuinewitty.com/2015/07/15/blatchford-nails-twitter-troll-case-but-misses-one-important-point-feat-gregory-alan-elliott/

19 comments

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    • Kevin K on July 15, 2015 at 23:08
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    I agree it is a huge omission not to point out that GAE’s has been deprived of free speech for three years (as well as other important liberties as per bail conditions ) and since a decision will not be made until October GAE is still in limbo for months to come.

    In general Blatchfords reporting of this trial has not be very good. In one article she implied that GAE made death threats which of course he did not and it was stupid and irresponsible to paint GAE who is a victim – in this light:

    Stephanie Guthrie trial makes one long for a time when death threats weren’t so easy to make
    http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/christie-blatchford-stephanie-guthrie-trial-makes-one-long-for-a-time-when-death-threats-werent-so-easy-to-make

    In another article Blatchford equates GAE with Guthrie saying they are “cut from the same cloth” i.e. GAE is just as bad a Guthrie so don’t feel sorry for him. This is nonsense!

    Blatchford has been way too kind to Guthrie (and her co-conspirators) going as far as calling her bright which Guthrie certainly isn’t. If you watch her TED presentation you see that Guthrie is actually pretty stupid!

    TEDx: how to look stupid in front of a crowd (Steph Guthrie)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfRXLVz9Xp0&feature=youtu.be

    What has been completely lacking in Blatchford’s reporting of this trial is any sense of outrage over the terrible injustice of what has been done to GAE. Of all people you would expect a journalist to come to the defense of free speech. We should all be outraged that police can arrest a person in a pre-dawn raid and throw them in jail for taking a stance on twitter that some militant feminist doesn’t like. The shear injustice of what was done and continues to be done to GAE should shock and outrage everyone and yet it is pretty much ignored except for the occasional tepid reporting from writers like Blatchford. I know Blatchford is a big cop lover and this may have tempered her reporting because TPS screwed up big time on this!

    • Kevin K on July 15, 2015 at 23:15
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    I found this interesting from Blatchford’s article:

    “Prosecutor Marnie Goldenberg made only the briefest remarks, and refused to provide Postmedia with a copy of her written arguments, saying it wasn’t her practice.”

    I thought our justice system was supposed to be open? Shouldn’t the prosecutor be required to give her closing arguments in front of the court most importantly in front of the defendant? Does’t GAE and his lawyer have a right to here what probable grounds Goldenberg had for bringing him to trial? What is Goldenberg trying to hide? I wonder if GAE’s lawyer got a copy of the prosecutor’s closing argument? If so would he be willing to make it public? If I was GAE’s lawyer I would definitely want to make the prosecutor’s closing argument public. This stinks!

    • Kevin K on July 16, 2015 at 01:34
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    I wonder what ever happened in the investigations after the judge was sent a letter from a former friend of two of the accusers alleging that they conspired to fabricate a criminal harassment complaint against GAE? The mystery writer also alleges improper involvement by the office of the Attorney General!

    http://www.canada.com/twist+Twitter+harassment+case/9643198/story.html

    A person claiming to be the writer alleged in a blog that after he sent the letter a Toronto cop showed up at his door in an act of intimidation

    http://www.avoiceformen.com/fe

    QUOTE:
    “Hey everyone. Tim Meehan here, I’m the one who blew the whistle on the cooked up, co-ordinated campaign that started here, at this gathering:

    https://web.archive.org/web/20

    On Easter Sunday, a local cop came to the door as messenger boy for a detective Darren Worth from Toronto Police 14 Division who wants me to call him, re the Greg Elliott case. Darren could have just phoned me… but the funny thing is, this is now an internal affairs matter and last time I checked, Det. Worth was NOT in IA but working in the same department as Det. Jeff Bangild, who started this ball rolling and that pushed the bogus charges.

    So anyway, the RCMP is now involved. Nice try at intimidation, TPS.

    • Kevin K on July 16, 2015 at 02:39
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    I notice that the charges involving a third woman were dropped. Do we know the identity of this woman? Guthrie was the original complainant and then Paisley Rae but I haven’t seen the name of the third person mentioned. I believe that her name is Heather Arr. She is the heavy-set red-head pictured at link below:

    https://www.facebook.com/WiTOpoli/photos/pb.354625521262183.-2207520000.1437025461./767557533302311/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xfp1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10349092_767557533302311_1189974558112710468_n.jpg%3Foh%3D37c714288926474394ed44ee94bb5e25%26oe%3D56252733&size=960%2C640&fbid=767557533302311

    In the wake of the arrest of GAE the TPS detective – Jeff Bangild sent out a tweet trawling for more “victims”. A twitter user https://twitter.com/ladysnarksalot responded that she too had been a “victim” and would be happy to cooperate. Bangild replied with his phone number and a request that she contact him. The twitter account @ladysnarksalot is associated with Heather Arr’s FB page. The picture was taken at a “Toronto Women in Politics” event in which Guthrie and Paisley are very active.

    If you look at GAE’s twitter account the last tweet was about Ladysnarksalot

    https://twitter.com/greg_a_elliott (interesting to note that GAE’s twitter account is still active! This is proof that there was nothing in the 10,000’s of tweets that he sent out that violated Twitters TOS. )

    She had been tweeting back and forth with GAE the day before his arrest and yet she has the audacity to claim that she was a “victim”? If in fact she was the third woman how stupid of Jeff Bangild to bring charges when this woman willingly engaged in a back and forth dialog on twitter with GAE. Why not just block GAE? If in fact Heather Arr is the third complainant she should be criminally charged with public mischief – an offense that can involve prison time upon conviction!

    Greg, if you plan to do any investigative reporting on this this could be an interesting angle to explore! Is Heather Arr the third complainant? Could she face criminal charges? Does she realize the legal jeopardy she could be in both criminally and civilly?

      • Kevin K on July 18, 2015 at 03:49
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      After reading the closing arguments by the defense I see that I was WRONG about the identity of the third complainant. It was not Heather Arr (unless she is also known as Heather Reilly ?).

      The third complainant was a Paisley Rae. Her complaint was thrown out but AMAZINGLY the complaint by Heather Reilly aks @ladysnarksalot were heard by the courts! This is a woman who had been tweeting back and forth with GAE up until the day of his arrest and yet she claimed to be a “victim”?

      The officer in charge of the investigation who laid these charges – Jeff Bangild – must be the biggest MORON on the Toronto police force! He needs to be kicked off the police force so he cannot destroy another innocent persons life.

        • Kevin K on July 18, 2015 at 04:32
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        DUH!!! looks like I might have been right all along!

        Here is a face picture of Heather Reilly (the 2nd complainant)

        https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CKJnvvFUAAAfbVy.png

        And here is a face picture of Heather Arr “R” (Reilly?) from her FB page . Judging from the nose and other features they are one in the same person

        https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11222591_474440112738036_8898370469417739625_n.jpg?oh=00cff734a29961d0ba188fedb996bc42&oe=5650D6D7

        Here is another RECENT picture of Heather “Arr” (on the far left) showing off her shapely and svelte arms and body (hmmmmm) . No wonder she lived in constant fear of getting raped by GAE and every other man on the planet with such a sexy and seductive body like that! LOL

        https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10349092_767557533302311_1189974558112710468_n.jpg?oh=afafb2119125dcdf034b2b8ac1b7b230&oe=564CB433

        https://www.facebook.com/heather.arr

    • Kevin K on July 16, 2015 at 04:24
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    Is it against the law for a police officer to use EVIDENCE from a trial that is CURRENTLY before the courts as part of a public presentation? If it is the lead detective on this case – Jeff Bangild – broke the law when he revealed evidence of this case in an open forum at the “SMILE” (social media in law enforcement) conference in Omaha NE. (apparently we fly this guy all over North America to speak at conferences where he reveals evidence before the courts while at the same time – I suspect – he enjoy’s the best of local dining and nightlife)

    Jeff Bangilds presentation from 2013 is available online and it features a number of slides revealing evidence gathered against GAE (beginning at slide 42)

    http://www.slideshare.net/CSIWorld/social-media-for-investigations-by-detective-jeff-bangild-toronto-police-boostsm#btnPrevious

    Bangild has blacked out GAE’s name and face but left enough information so that anyone (with half a brain) can figure out GAE’s identity. All you have to do is search for “lady doth snark too much” in Twitter and bingo!

    https://twitter.com/search?q=lady%20doth%20snark%20too%20much&src=typd

    Bangild reveals that GAE was born April 13, 1960 and that he lives at the “intersection of “Queensway and Berl Avenue” and that he has four sons. Bangild reveals the tools used to gather information and how he was able to confirm GAE’s identity.

    It should be noted that this is the confidential information released by the presentation slides. We do not know what other confidential information was revealed by Bangild in his verbal presentation. Bangild used the GAE case again as the focus of another SMILE conference presentation (this time in sunny Sunnyvale California in the frigid month of February 2013). If you watch this video you will note that Bangild asks the audience to stop recording when he begins to reveal evidence of the GAE trial.

    Again, I don’t know if it is against law or police rules for officers to publicly release EVIDENCE from an investigation that has yet to be adjudicated in a court of law. I remember former Police Chief Bill Blair saying many times that he was forbidden by law from releasing any information that is before the courts but I don’t know if this was B.S. on the part of Bill Blair.

    If it is against the rules or law – for instance The Police Act of Ontario – I hope Jeff Bangild will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This guy should not be a cop!

      • Kevin K on July 16, 2015 at 07:21
      • Reply

      I just noticed I forget to include the link to the Youtube video of Jeff Bangild Sunnyvale California presentation. Here it is:

  1. So refreshing to find a site that actually defends the right to free speech!! Keep up the good work Greg!

    1. Thanks!

    • Kevin K on July 16, 2015 at 22:03
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    Prison Planet’s Paul Joseph Watson has commented on the persecution of GAE

    • Kevin K on July 17, 2015 at 23:54
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    Here is a copy of the Defense closing arguments. The prosecutor has refused to release her closing arguments and only gave brief verbal statement. If the defendant has a copy of the prosecutors closing arguments they should release it to the public.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8A8TBLPhrPFT0hNLVpXZDNTT2M/view

    • Kevin K on July 19, 2015 at 02:16
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    Lots of interesting reading at the link I posted above. For instance Defense attorney Murray caught the second complainant – Heather Reilly ( AKA @LadySnarksalot AKA “Heather Arr” on Facebook ) in a lie! In direct testimony Heather Reilly claimed that she changed her twitter avatar from a picture of herself to a cartoon picture because she was afraid of Elliott. Murray confronted Reilly with the fact that she had changed her avatar long before she even had any exchanges with Elliott on twitter. On re-direct , Reilly admitted to Murray that she had changed it before her involvement with Elliott saying she was concerned about men in general. I sure hope that Heather Reilly is charged with perjury. Anyone who lies under oath should be punished. It will be a travesty of justice if Heather Reilly isn’t charged with perjury – an indictable offence which comes with a penalty of up to 14 years behind bars !

    • Kevin K on July 19, 2015 at 02:37
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    A link to all the tweets sent by the vindictive accusers Steph Guthrie and Heather Reilly (aka Heather Arr on FB) as well as the tweets sent by the victim GAE

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6-JO0_7Lr1Xd1M2MzB0NGJwWEk

    • Fritz kohlhaas on July 19, 2015 at 17:11
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    Feminazis!

    • Negative Creep on July 20, 2015 at 08:59
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    Well, it is certainly not criminal harassment, but consider the following: people who believe they are members of groups, as opposed to individuals, have a mental illness. Realistically, it is sort of like arguing with someone who has Downs syndrome or any other serious mental disability. I think the colloquial way of saying this is “don’t try to teach a pig to sing. You get dirty and it upsets the pig.” So, as soon as you are aware that your interlocutor is mentally ill, you should probably bow out—even if it helped convince others, would you use someone with Downs to prove a point? I wouldn’t.

    There is no reason that psychiatry and psychology should be monopolized by collectivists, especially when it is quite clear that they suffer from mental disorder that prevents them from apprehending the quantifiable limits of their bodies, and that there are no meta-bodies, as it were, that unite disparate individuals into some sort of “society” or “community.” Fundamentally, there is a real form of psychosis here that involves belief in bodies politic, corporations, etc. We know that talk therapy is essentially useless for psychosis—you are not going to render someone any less psychotic by talking on the internet.

  2. This isn’t a victory for free speech at all. The man is INNOCENT, and gets a punishment, however mid it would be compared to what was possible, applied to him.

    Those who belong on trial are the ACCUSERS, because of their libelous action and THEIR threats. Elliott’s well-being, income, and reputation were harmed by charges that were PLAINLY spurious.

      • Negative Creep on July 21, 2015 at 23:07
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      Correct, until the Universities are fixed, there is no free speech in Canada. In Canadian universities, students are expected to injure themselves (the speech is an organ) as a condition of admission. “We only like disabled people here, our own kind!”

    • Tony on October 25, 2015 at 20:25
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    After looking at this case I think I understand what the judge is doing. The most telling line is this ” “there can be no conviction for something for which Elliott is not charged.””

    This tells me that the Judge is well aware that he is dealing with a precedent case here. And despite the bungling prosecution the Judge seems to be encouraging the prosecution to examine and present all of the possible approaches to laying this charge.

    Yes this case should have been thrown out 3 years ago. But I think the judge knew that it would not be the end of it. Especially once he received that letter & seen the conduct of other city officials.

    So ironically as GAE was chosen to be an example for these women. They may have forced the judge to make an example of them. Despite all of the years of anguish he has been through, I guess GAE has to be the one… The chosen one.

    I suspect the Judge has already realised that this amounts to a group of people conspiring to manipulate a loop hole in a law, to use the legal system as a weapon. So he would have to let it run it’s course. Let them try every snide thing so it can be fully interpreted by the law.

    As I said it’s not good what GAE and his family are going through. But I suspects the judge knows this but is using him to make sure that this cannot happen again. And that for all GAE and his family are going through that he will be well compensated.

    I wasn’t sure until I read that statement. But the judge is effectively giving the Crown enough rope that it will hang itself.

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