Messaging app Snapchat has issued a statement about the murder of a man whose killer posted the aftermath of the violent clash that ended his life online. The social media giant said "there is no place" for violence, which has "devastating consequences" for families and communities, following the death of 19-year-old Kyle Walley from Wrexham
It comes after Mr Walley's family spoke of the agony of losing a loved one to a knife-obsessed murderer, which was made intensely worse when footage of the killing spread like wildfire across Snapchat. As Mr Walley lay lifeless on his kitchen floor in Rhosymedre, Wrexham, on July 11, 2021m his twisted killer and so-called former friend Mark Jones filmed his victim's body and posted the footage on the social media platform.
Kyle's dad, Robert Walley, revealed how he had been "inundated" with calls before he had even seen his son in the chapel of rest. Jones was handed a life sentence and will serve a minimum term of 16 years after a jury found him guilty of murder at Mold Crown Court last week.
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Jones had failed to convince them he had acted in self-defence when he stabbed Mr Walley though the heart as the men prepared to watch the Euro 2020 final clash between England and Italy. Robert Walley described the "horrific" impact of his son's death and the callousness of it being shared on social media in a statement issued last week after Jones was sent to jail.
Snapchat told NorthWalesLive they remove "violent content" where they find it "straightaway". But Mr Walley Sr revealed just how quickly the appalling footage of his son had been shared across the platform.
He said: "I can still recall people contacting us and telling us about the video. This was so upsetting because we didn't even get a chance to see Kyle in the chapel of rest before we were inundated with calls from numerous people asking about what was being circulated online."
Mr Walley Sr has never watched the footage but he fears some of his family have seen it and is upset at the potential impact that may have on them. He said: "The circumstances around Kyle's murder and the social media aspect has been incredibly difficult to deal with as a family.
"We are aware that social media is something most people use but knowing that our son's murder was filmed and then immediately circulated online – locally, nationally, and possibly internationally – is horrific. We know that people have been making comments on the footage that was released and some of the comments about Kyle were vile.
"No-one should have to read or see those comments about their own child – especially as Kyle was murdered. It is as if people have passed judgement on what happened to Kyle ever since.
"These are comments by people that have never even met my son. This makes us feel angry and I find it difficult to put into words how hard it was for us all to come to terms with.
"Our family suffered a tragic loss, which was only compounded by the video and then social media intrusion which seemed never-ending. As soon as posts were removed they were put back by different people and the pain continued for us."
The footage had spread so widely that North Wales Police had to issue a plea to the platforms and the public to stop sharing it. The judge, Mr Justice Stephen Eyre, told an emotionless Jones that he recorded his brutal actions out of a sick "desire for notoriety". The judge said this compounded the suffering of Kyle's family tenfold.
A spokesman for Snapchat said after the sentencing of Jones: "Violence has devastating consequences for families and communities and there is no place for it on Snapchat. Unlike traditional social media platforms Snapchat has no open news feed of unvetted content and the way the app is designed limits the possibility of harmful content from being featured, recommended, or going viral.
"If Snapchatters see violent content on the app we encourage them to report it immediately using our in-app tools so we can investigate and take action. If we find violent content being shared we remove it straight away and we work with law enforcement to support investigations. We continue to partner closely with safety experts, NGOs, and the police to create a safe environment for our community."
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