Simple Minds singer’s brother was also targeted on Facebook, jury told

The brother of Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr was also targeted on Facebook, a jury was told this morning (Friday 17 October).

Paul Kerr, right, arrives at Lewes Crown Court – Picture by David McHugh / Brighton Pictures

Paul Kerr, 56, of Warwick Mount, Montague Street, Brighton, is accused of stalking three people online, putting two of them in fear of violence.

But, at Lewes Crown Court, his barrister Paul Walker said that fake Facebook profiles had been created to heap abuse on Kerr.

He asked one of the alleged victims, John Fagan, whether he was responsible for posts referring to Kerr’s conviction and two-year prison sentence for arson. Kerr was also jailed in 2012 for aggravated burglary.

Mr Fagan said that he mocked Kerr online, using his own Facebook profile, but he denied being responsible for almost identical posts in other names.

He said: “I’ve always posted stuff in my own name. I don’t need to hide like a coward.”

He denied setting up fake profiles in the name of Kevin Stower and John Darroch, the singer’s mother Irene Kerr and his daughter Ellie.

The jury was told that the home of Mr Darroch, a radio DJ, had been set on fire by Kerr in 1997 after a business deal went wrong.

Mr Fagan posted references to song titles such as Firestarter and Relight My Fire to taunt Kerr, saying: “In relation to what we were put through, I think it was quite subtle.

“He posted all over the internet saying that I’d raped a nine-year-old boy and I was on the run from Liverpool police. I can’t think of anything more disgusting.”

Mr Fagan said that he had used an app called Face in the Hole to doctor a photo to make it look as if Kerr was reading a book called The Single Man’s Guide to Thailand.

Four minutes later, on a Facebook profile in the name of Kevin Stower, an almost identical post had a doctored picture suggesting that Kerr was reading a book called The Ladyboys of Bangkok.

Mr Fagan said: “I’m not Kevin Stower. Everything I’ve ever posted is in my own name.”

John and Julie Fagan

He also denied having posted in the name of Julie Nagaf, saying: “Paul Kerr is a wannabe oxygen thief. Karma is a wonderful thing.”

He said that his wife Julie had uploaded the post, which showed Kerr’s face behind prison bars and Kerr wearing convict stripes.

In another posts Mr Fagan said: “You have finally overstepped the mark. Your mother should have aborted you. You are the anti-Christ.”

He said: “I did definitely send that. Yes. At the time my wife was upset and I was angry and I didn’t know how to make this stop. I thought he was evil. We’d had weeks and weeks and weeks of this abuse.”

Paul Kerr

Mr Fagan said that Kerr sent him a message on Facebook Messenger. He said: “He asked for £100,000 to stop saying I was going to get raped in prison. He continued to call me a rapist.”

Kerr, who turned 56 yesterday (Thursday 17 October), faces two charges of stalking John and Julie Fagan, causing them to fear violence on at least two occasions.

He is also charged with one count of stalking, causing “alarm and distress” to Elisabeth Vanthof, also known as Elsie de la Couer.

He denies all three charges and the trial continues.

Jim Kerr

Simple Minds were one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s and ’90s with a number of hit singles including Don’t You Forget About Me and Alive and Kicking.

The Glasgow band formed in 1977 and sold more than 60 million albums including five No1 chart-topping albums.

They have continued to perform and record – and in 2018 Simple Minds released their 19th album, Walk Between Worlds, followed by live album Live in the City of Angels this year.