Family driven out by Neil Lennon hate mob

[ian1964 10,720]

A TERRIFIED mum today told how she has been forced to flee her home after coming under siege when her address was wrongly linked to the man accused of attacking Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

 

Jackie Wilson has received more than 2000 threatening phone calls in the last two days along with hate mail after a Celtic fan posted her full Stenhouse address and telephone number online.

 

Police have confirmed she is not linked to John Wilson who has appeared in court charged with assaulting Lennon during the match at Tynecastle on Wednesday night and remanded in custody.

 

But Miss Wilson, 35, said the calls and abuse against her and her two daughters was continuing including threats to "rape", "bomb", and "cut your throats".

 

Bizarrely, pranksters have also sent several unordered pizzas and takeaways to the property.

 

Police have now offered the family safehouse accommodation and they are monitoring all calls made and packages sent to the property. They have also set up a panic button in case the family is attacked and are performing hourly patrols in the Stenhouse area.

 

Today the tearful mum-of-two said they were packing up to leave the area. She has already sent her 12-year-old daughter, Becky, to stay with friends, and the family don't stay at the house at night.

 

Sitting next to her 18-year-old daughter Cherisse, the phone rang constantly as Miss Wilson told of her ordeal. She said: "We've had all manner of threatening calls, with people saying they're coming to slash our throats, coming to bomb us, coming to rape us and coming to get us. Then we've had people call to congratulate John Wilson and offer to take him for a pint.

 

"The phone has been running off the hook since 10am on Thursday and we've easily had over 2000 calls. We have a life, my kid has to go to school, but careless thugs are disrupting everything. Some cars come by, stop, and look in at us.

 

"Whoever did this has cost me my job. I was doing promotions for a nightclub that's due to open in two weeks, but my boss said they don't want to be dragged into all this. I've had to send Becky away to friends. This behaviour is devastating and disgusting. My dad and brother are both called John Wilson, but they have no connection to this John Wilson."

 

Cherisse added: "I've had Facebook messages and 50 people I don't know have tried to add me as a friend. I keep posting messages to say John Wilson does not live at our address."

 

Miss Wilson, who grew up in Broomhouse, said police had offered them safe temporary accommodation. She said she felt they might have no choice but to go into hiding.

 

She said: "This whole thing is disgusting. It's diabolical that people could react this way to something on the football pitch. It's meant to be a game, not violent and ugly. We've been dragged into this for no reason, my kids are scared. We can't sleep and are staying with friends at night.

 

No doubt it'll get worse at the weekend when people get drunk. I'm not a big fan of football, but I am a Hearts fan.

 

"We're getting out of here because of this. We're living in a private rented flat, and now we're looking for something out of this area. But they won't stop us smiling."

 

Lothian and Borders Police said they were investigating the calls to the family.

 

Chief Inspector Kevin Greig said: "There have been numerous calls to this address since Wednesday night, and it is causing a considerable amount of anxiety to the residents.

 

"It is a criminal offence to intimidate, threaten or harass an individual, and we will robustly pursue anyone identified as being involved. We would remind people that a man has been charged and appeared in court in connection with the assault."

 

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