Wednesday 30 July 2014

Fletcher Gets Foolish And Threatens To Sue #ThingsElliottSays


Keighley town councillor Sam Fletcher, well known for #FletcherGate and frankly talking about his ideas on sex, has decided to threaten to sue #ThingsElliottSays for Libel. However, he is a very foolish person because he doesn't fully realise the consequences of what he has done. He could be sued instead.

Recently #ThingsElliottSays published a story about Cllr Sam Fletcher on more of his odd ideas about sex. Gareth Shanks, someone who is an acquittance of Fletcher but certainly not his friend, had publish on Twitter a print screen of a conversion he had had with Sam Fletcher. This is the tweet:


#ThingsElliottSays saw Cllr Fletcher's comments in this conversation and thought them very amusing considering his past history of public sexual comments he made during #FletcherGate. I think there is a public interest for the people, especially Cllr Fletcher's constituents, to know that he is firstly continuing to make these sexual comments and secondly for people to think whether he is fit to be a councillor. The hilariousness of Sam Fletcher's comments are funny because he is a councillor and should not be doing these sort of things.


#ThingsElliottSays thus print-screened this public Tweet and posted it on his blog in a story called 'The Bizarre Love Life Of Cllr Sam Fletcher'. In it #ThingsElliottSays recounted #FletcherGate, said Fletcher was again talking about his sexual preferences publicly, mentioned due to the Polish factor that this may upset Nigel Farage, and asked what has happened to Sam's previous 'good salt of the earth Keighley lass'? Through a comedic lens of the nature of what Cllr Fletcher keeps on saying there was a serious political point of telling the news that Sam Fletcher is continuing to make inappropriate sexual comments. Again it asks the question of whether it is proper behaviour from a town councillor to do this?

However, Cllr Fletcher has not taken this article well. He has posted on my blog two comments about the article (you can read them in full here). Importantly Cllr Fletcher says that the print-screened comments were "not a public Facebook status, Twitter or blog post or whatever. It is in fact a screenshot of a private message between myself and an acquaintance." The message was put up on Twitter, which is regarded legally speaking as completely public, #ThingsElliottSays thus has every right to publish the comments.



Cllr Fletcher persisted to makes these comments again and said "this was a PRIVATE Facebook message and yet you are claiming it was a public post. Face it, you have no legitimacy on this one as it was truly a private conversation with a Facebook friend. It's not on my Facebook profile. You are picking up where the News Of The World left off in terms of disreputable journalism and methods of obtaining information."

#ThingsElliottSays repeats what he has said above about Twitter being public. If Cllr Fletcher did not want these comments to be made public he should have not said them or not said them to his friend. #ThingsElliottSays was perfectly entitled to post this story and did not break any laws. #ThingsElliottSays is a respectable and responsible Blogger.

But Cllr Fletcher would not stop. He then posted this publicly on Facebook.


#ThingsElliottSays has no idea how Cllr Fletcher believes my article was libellous. They were his comments!

Furthermore, as somewhat of a finale to Cllr Fletcher's actions, #ThingsElliottSays has heard from a number of reliable sources that Sam Fletcher has been hinting heavily to them that he and YI will threaten to sue #ThingsElliottSays over his recent article. I do hope this is not the case although #ThingsElliottSays has no reason to doubt his sources.

#ThingsElliottSays thinks Cllr Fletcher has been very foolish. #ThingsElliottSays believes that Cllr Fletcher should not have strongly inferred this blog is using illegal and disreputable practices by saying "You are picking up where the News Of The World left off in terms of disreputable journalism and methods of obtaining information." #ThingsElliottSays has proven his blogging is totally correct and legitimate. #ThingsElliottSays also believes that Fletcher should not have strongly inferred that his blog is libellous when saying " 'ThingsElliotSays' is heading the same way as a certain other Tory blog I can think of - getting done for libel." #ThingsElliottSays thinks this is what is really libellous.



In McAlpine v Bercow, Lord McAlpine won damages against Sally Bercow for inferring he was a child abuser publicly on Twitter by tweeting "Why is Lord McAlpine trending? *innocent face*". This land mark ruling amongst other things set a precedent in the law for social media and strongly inferring libellous statements. In #ThingsElliottSays' opinion Cllr Fletcher is likely to have been libellous against him.

#ThingsElliottSays could go straight to his solicitor to gauge what to do next. There could be quite a strong case and he knows some very good lawyers. There is certainly a strong case to report Cllr Fletcher to his standards board and also to UKIP central office. This is regardless of Fletcher's own legal threats but based on what he has publicly said.

But #ThingsElliottSays is also fair and is giving Cllr Fletcher till 9pm today (30th July) to publicly apologise for his comments on Facebook and to send the apology to #ThingsElliottSays who will then publish it on his blog. The matter will then be considered closed. If Cllr Fletcher does not comply #ThingsElliottSays will look to pursue this elsewhere.

22 comments:

  1. I am not his fucking friend

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    Replies
    1. Jay Cartwright30 July 2014 at 23:25

      Is he your fucking football friend?

      Delete
  2. Samuel Fletcher's Trousers30 July 2014 at 16:08

    I'm full. Literally full. I'm bursting at the seams.
    I hope to got Samuel gets me to a dry cleaner soon.

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  3. This is frankly a side issue and I apologize for not being more relevant, but I think the precedent set by that judge is an affront to common sense if nothing else... if I say something libelous then by all means I should be punished for doing so, but we are entering a completely different situation if one infers something... this will lead to a number of unjust results. I would, however, love to see this absurd man in ruin

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    Replies
    1. Victor Bewes-Martin QC31 July 2014 at 22:17

      I will have you know, Mr Johnson, that I am Cllr Fletcher's personal lawyer- and I do not come cheap at £5000/hr. To describe my client, a towering political colossus, as an "absurd man" is libel and I would advice that you withdraw your remark or face the consequences. My client is a sterling young man whose political career will advance further next year when he becomes UKIP MP for Keighley and Foreign Secretary in Prime Minister Farage's first Cabinet. Signed Victor Bewes-Martin QC, The Nut House, Broadmoor

      Delete
  4. Robert Winfield's Lovechild30 July 2014 at 20:06

    The electors of Keighley had better vote this waste of skin out of public office.

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    Replies
    1. A polish birds knickers31 July 2014 at 19:02

      Well, not like they voted for him really, what was it, 3... 4 people voted for him?

      Delete
    2. 118 people, actually.

      Delete
  5. Johnson's Dry Cleaners30 July 2014 at 20:09

    Cease and desist your attacks upon this noble public servant. Cllr Fletcher is a proud supporter of local business in Keighley, and probably the only thing keeping us solvent.

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  6. Samuel Fletcher's Mam30 July 2014 at 23:26

    'E's not an absurd man... 'e's a very naughty boy!

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  7. Is this the councillor who used to be a tory?

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  8. And the Labour Party too I might add. Good to see Fletcher has support from his own party.

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  9. Wasn't he constantly pilloried ridiculed by other tories whilst a member... and now he isn't and the same people are continuing to bully him? To me it just looks like a bunch of children picking on a guy.

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  10. Roger Helmer's Moustache31 July 2014 at 17:11

    Samuel Fletcher's liking for Polish women is distasteful if not viscerally repugnant.

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  11. It’s an Establishment-led EU conspiracy!!

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  12. A polish birds knickers31 July 2014 at 18:58

    Sam fletcher comments get me all wet!! please stop saying polish lasses are gorgeous, you make my owners keep jumping in rivers

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    Replies
    1. Oi Polish Bird, you can hang your wet knickers on my washing line any time... I've got a long one... oooh errr missus!

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    2. Oi Farage, you're not as 'ard as me!!

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  13. ’Ere Fletcher! You bin looking at my bird!?

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  14. Emmett Jenner makes a fair point about me still getting stick from Conservatives.

    When I used to be a Tory (September 2009 to January 2011), my belief in a more democratic and fair society, economy and political system didn't sit well with most of my fellow CFers (Conservative Future, the party's youth wing).

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    Replies
    1. Maybe if you keep getting stick, you are the one giving them the reason? I'm not saying its right or wrong, but you have made ridiculous comments and refuse to apologies. It seems like you feel you can say what you like without consequence, every stupid comment you make, you just try justify it, just man up and admit you made a mistake.

      You claim to care about ukip, but you are doing them so much damage, can you imagine if a ppc is seen with you, you are dragging them down too

      Maybe change your attitude and people's attitude to you will change

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    2. P.Smith-O'beater3 August 2014 at 20:52

      Fletcher, you are a fine man and a credit to UKIP. Please continue with all such actions as you see fit. You are a lot like Nelson Mandela in his early years, no matter how hard these communists try and grind you down, don't listen to them, fight back, show them the power, show them the vision and you shall lead us all to a very bright future indeed (p.s, please join Labour during an election year)

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