Wednesday, July 15, 2009
US firm apologizes over use of murdered couple’s photo
AN AMERICAN company has been forced to apologize after using a picture of murdered honeymooners Ben and Catherine Mullany in an online advertising campaign.
An image of the couple, who were shot dead in Antigua last summer, was used by the US firm MyDishBiz alongside in an area of its website featuring testimonials from satisfied customers.
The company last night apologized to the couple’s family, and said it had “not knowingly included the picture” on its site.
But its appearance has been criticized by Welsh Secretary Peter Hain as “diabolical”, while a friend of the family described it as “like some kind of terrible joke”.
Ben and Catherine, both 31 and from Rhos, near Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley, were shot dead in a bungled robbery at their holiday bungalow on the Caribbean island of Antigua on July 27 last year.
It was the last day of their honeymoon.
Catherine died instantly from head wounds while Ben died a week later having been transferred in a coma to Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
The picture used on the American website showed a smiling Ben and Catherine, and was accompanied by text suggesting the pair were “Frank and Mary from New York”, complete with a gushing testimonial purportedly from them about MyDishBiz.
The picture had in fact been taken in the run up to the couple’s wedding in the Swansea Valley a year ago this weekend.
The image of newly qualified GP Catherine and trainee physiotherapist Ben, an ex-soldier had apparently been downloaded from an internet tribute to them, and paired with the bogus testimonial.
The testimonial said: “We have made $1,000 alone with your MyDishBiz internet business opportunity.
“We are very happy with this program. This is the best opportunity we’ve ever seen online. Thanks again.”
The company has now issued a humble apology and has blamed either a disgruntled ex-employee or someone “with a warped sense of humor”.
Mr Hain, who is the MP of the murdered couple’s family, said: “This is diabolical.
“It may have been a mistake but it should never have happened.
“The couple’s memory should be cherished not abused.”
Ben and Catherine’s family in Pontardawe are said to be “upset” that the photograph is being used with a false identity.
And a friend of the Mullanys said yesterday: “It sounds like some kind of terrible joke or prank in which someone has gone to the trouble of downloading the photo from the internet and putting words alongside it.
“The company may not have known what was going on but surely there should have been more checks done on something like this before it went out?”
Internet company MyDishBiz based in Wintersville, Ohio, yesterday confirmed it has now removed the offending photograph and sent apologies to Ben and Catherine’s families.
A spokesman said: “We are trying to track down who sent the testimonial and picture for inclusion on our website.
“It may have been a disgruntled affiliate or someone who has a very warped sense of humor.”
“Deepest apologies are extended to the families of the victims.
“Our company did not knowingly include the picture of the deceased on our website.”
Two Antiguan men – Avie Howell, 18, and Kaniel Martin, 21 – are due to stand trial on the holiday island later this year charged with murdering the newlywed couple.
And a third defendant, Georgette Aaron, who has been charged with perverting the course of justice by trying to help Martin and Howell, will stand trial alongside them.
Aaron, 32, had also been charged with being an accessory to murder, robbery after the fact and conspiracy to make a false statement but those charges were withdrawn.
She is accused of receiving, harboring, maintaining and comforting Martin and Howell.
Tourism on Antigua has been badly hit since news of the Mullany murders swept around the world following their brutal killing.
The size of the police force on the island has been increased considerably since the Mullany murders and efforts are still being made to modernize detective and forensic work.