It has all gone very quiet in the media with regards to the trial of Tilehurst terror attack planner suspect and racist Neil Lewington, arrested and found to have been en route, with explosive devices, to meet a woman who he had been told had had a relationship with an Asian man - and whose young daughter was expecting a baby by an Asian man.
The coverage was not exactly deafening two weeks ago (see the recent New Statesman article for a frustratingly plausible suggestion why), but I doubt nothing of any further interest has occurred in the last fortnight. TV news coverage has obviously passed us all by completely. The national printed press seems to have forgotten the case. Obviously, the local press have more important matters to report on - help Miss Berkshire win Miss England, someone else has been clamped in the Lidl car park, etc. I am not belittling all their articles (except the clamping - something that gets reported on so often we can assume reporters gather at the McDonalds drive thru next door to it to keep themselves employed), but the priorities are a little misplaced. Still, the national press have had little or nothing to say on the matter either.
Why so little media attention?
Did my viewing of Africa Addio (see my other blog, if you are bored today) totally throw out my perspective on such matters, or is a white man accused of planning such attacks of less public interest than someone of another ethnicity doing so?
How is he denying eight charges related to terrorism or explosives in the face of such overwhelming evidence?
Why did so many people suspect he was planning these activities yet remain quiet on the matter until he was arrested (for drinking and smoking on a train then urinating in public – at which point his bag was searched and the rest of his activities came to the attention of the police)?
How did he continue living at his parent’s home for ten years without speaking to his father?
Basically, a little discussion about the media approach to this, the circumstances surrounding the case, or even some bitchy gossip would be welcome around this subject. Anything but this weird silence. A decade on from David Copeland (Mr Lewington is a something of a fan of his, and Timothy McVeigh, by all accounts), it seems white people accused of building bombs to kill and maim those living in the UK is of no interest. Still, nice to see so many photos of Michael Jackson’s family again today...
(Note – Mr Lewington met some women via the internet, including a chatroom called Hot Or Not. I’m guessing, from what little we know of the man and his “publicity” photo, the answer is Not. Again, feel free to discuss).
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