Roberta Williams is running a Facebook profile on behalf of
her husband, convicted gangland killer Carl Williams, who is serving a
35-year prison sentence and has no internet access.
While
Carl already has 974 friends on Facebook, the site became known to the
media after someone tipped off 3AW's Rumour File segment on the
Breakfast Show this morning.
Hosts Ross Stevenson and John Burns said they rang Roberta Williams and she confirmed the site belongs to her husband.
The
profile contains information on Carl's sentences, which are being
appealed, and an address through which his Facebook friends can write
to him in jail.
Under the "personal information"
section, Roberta has written: "Obviously Carl cannot respond to any
messages left on the wall but they will be printed out and taken to him
and are very much appreciated. Roberta will answer any of your
questions she can otherwise Carl will once he receives the print out.
Thank you to everyone for your support it is very much appreciated. Any
nasty messages will be deleted."
She also commented:
"Carl looks pretty silly in Underbelly, don't you think? Of course he
does, they aren't allowed to let you like him. Distorted depictions of
people are what sells newspapers and TV advertising time".
There
are also several messages from Carl's Facebook friends, mostly
supporting Carl's appeal and offering good luck messages. There are
also many messges from other women whose husbands or boyfriends have
served prison sentences and from friends whose parents were in prison.
One
friend wrote: "hi roberta , my oldest sons father did a life sentance
and at the time the news was more than i could bare but its 20 years
later and our son is know twenty one and his father is out now, when i
look back those years have flown buy (sic)".
Other messages refer to the recent Underbelly drama series, which was banned in Victoria.
"Goodluck
with the appeal... i thought they could have chosen someone better to
play you in the underbelly series" wrote another friend.
Carl
Williams is currently serving a 35 year sentence in Barwon Prison for
three murders and drug trafficking, and has appealed the sentence for
being too severe.
A spokeswoman for Corrections
Victoria said "Corrections Victoria does not provide internet access to
prisoners and we do not condone anything that glorifies criminals or
criminal activity".
The spokeswoman confirmed that prisoners do have access to newspapers and television.
- By Lucy Battersby for SMH.