However, not to put too fine a point on it, this is possibly the most incompetent and poorly thought out Pro & Con sheet that I have ever seen. And over the years I have seen many.
It is a work of fiction which bears no resemblance to the actual situation of Brenda Leyland.
It is not even a proper Pro & Con sheet in that it is dealing with two separate theories/hypotheses at once. If McFadden had actually paid any attention at all at University she would have understoon at least the basics of Pro & Con sheets, ie that they are used to help make a decision on a specific issue. Here she is simply throwing down on a page random thoughts relating to two separate potential scenarios. There is no Pro & Con relating to either Suicide or Homicide. Both are mashed up on a single sheet in a random way without proper delineation of the pros and cons of each option.
This is a proper Pro & Con sheet which I downloaded from a module on the University of California, Berkeley web site just this morning.
Had McFadden handed her handiwork in to any course moderator at any University she would have been handed a similar sheet to the one above and told to go away and do it properly. Properly being to put the decision which must be made - in this case the rather sick subject which McFadden has chosen for Brenda Leyland: "Should I commit suicide?"
I have limited time today so will deal only with the Pro Suicide section of her diagram.
She offers three little boxes and one phrase scrawled across this side of the sheet.
1. "Lead to suicide by Martin Brunt Expose and false statements that charges against her by authorities were eminent (sic)"
2. "Ends life at her local Marriott to Protect (sic) her home from being burden to her sons (Heirs)"
3. "Suicide note?"
4. Scrawled phrase - "Why a hotel?"
Thus on the subject of the potential suicide decision of Brenda Leyland she offers four options which should according to the use of a Pro & Con sheet be as the name suggests, pros or cons. At least one of these doesn't fit that category at all. But to deal with them in order:
1. Lead to suicide by Martin Brunt Expose. Yes this part is a pro for suicide. It could in fact have been a reason that Brenda Leyland decided to end her life.
But the second part of this is fabrication on the part of McFadden. Brunt did not say (as far as anyone is aware that charges were imminent (note). He merely said that an investigation was being undertaken.
Instead of exaggerating the facts, McFadden should perhaps have stuck to what has at least been reported.
For example, it is reported that Leyland was sorry that she had done what she had done as Sweepyface and that she hoped she would not be in trouble. This would be a pro for suicide.
She might also have mentioned the further report that Leyland fled the village after being confronted by a photographer. However that is clearly not McFadden's style. Another pro for suicide.
And there is the possibility that Leyland would have found it difficult to explain her online persona to those in her own family and to her neighbours who knew her as a very different person. Another pro for suicide.
2. By ending her life at the Marriott (If that is what occurred and of course till the Coroner's Inquest everything McFadden is dealing with is mere speculation and guesswork) then Leyland may well have been attempting to protect her sons from facing a house where such an event had occurred. This is not strictly a pro for suicide though, rather a commentary.
3. Suicide note? This is neither a pro nor a con at this stage. Only those investigating the case can answer the question. Were it to be revealed at the Inquest that such a note existed then it would become a significant pro. But the absence of a suicide note is not necessarily a con. At the moment this is neither pro nor con though so should not be on such a sheet.
4. Why McFadden has this scrawled across the sheet is anyone's guess as she has offered a perfectly reasonable explanation above.
Either McFadden has tried to play down the potential reasons why Leyland may (and I stress again MAY) have chosen to take her own life or she simply has not put the effort into this side of the coin.
More to come later today or perhaps tomorrow including a comment or two on the insanely stupid twit from McFadden which is below.