Brid Facebook user accused of identifying James Bulger killers

The Attorney General Dominic Grieve is seeking an order of committal or “other appropriate penalty” against Neil Harkins and another man for their alleged contempt in breaching an injunction banning the revelation of the new identities of the killers.

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were released in 2001 following their conviction for the February 1993 murder which shocked the nation.

Today, counsel Melanie Cumberland said it was “is in the public interest” to enforce an injunction banning the revelation of the new identities of Venables and Thompson.

Ms Cumberland said that on February 14 2013, two days after the 20th anniversary of the murder, both Harkins and Dean Liddle put photos on public computer networks - Harkins on Facebook and Liddle on Twitter - purporting to depict Venables and Thompson as adults.

The anniversary had triggered photos and information being posted online by numerous individuals and shared hundreds if not thousands of times, much of it on Facebook and Twitter, she added.

The contents of the posts by Harkins and Liddle showed clearly that they were aware of the existence of the injunction but nevertheless breached it, she told Sir John Thomas, President of the Queen’s Bench Division, and Mr Justice Tugendhat in London.

She said that the Attorney General was giving consideration to bringing proceedings against other individuals but none had yet been issued.

There continued to be cooperation between his office, the police and social networking sites with a view to the situation being contained and the purpose of the injunction being given effect, she said.

Both Harkins and Liddle, of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, attended the hearing, which is expected to conclude this afternoon.