Emiliano Sala: Two people arrested after photo of dead footballer’s body in morgue posted online

Police say there is ‘no evidence to suggest a break-in at the mortuary’ after 48-year-old woman and 62-year-old man arrested

Two people from Wiltshire have been arrested by detectives investigating how an image purporting to show the post-mortem examination of the late Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala was posted on Twitter, police said.

A 48-year-old woman from Corsham was arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material – an offence under the Computer Misuse Act – and malicious communications, and is currently released on conditional bail.

A 62-year-old man from Calne was also arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material. He has been released under investigation.

The pair were arrested on 18 February, but a Wiltshire Police statement was released on Monday evening in response stories about the gruesome image – which appeared to show the late striker lying in a morgue – being shared online.

A file of evidence has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide if it will bring criminal charges, said Detective Inspector Gemma Vinton.

There had been reports investigators were working on the theory someone broke into the mortuary to take the photo, but police rejected the speculation.

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “There is no evidence to suggest a break-in at the mortuary, and no evidence to suggest that any staff from the mortuary, or indeed any other council employees, are involved in any wrongdoing.”

DI Vinton, the senior investigating officer, added: “My thoughts remain with Emiliano’s family for the pain they have endured throughout the last three months, and who should not have to go through the additional anguish of knowing such distressing images have circulated on the internet.”

She added: “I would also urge people to stop sharing the image – this is causing further distress to Emiliano’s family and friends.”

The 28-year-old footballer, who had just signed for Cardiff City before his death, disappeared with the pilot of the Piper Malibu private plane after it crashed in the waters north of Guernsey on 21 January.

Mr Sala’s body was recovered on 6 February but the body of pilot David Ibbotson, 59, of Crowle, Lincolnshire, has not been located.

The footballer’s father, Horacio Sala, 58, died at his home in Progreso in Argentina's Santa Fe province on Friday, local media reported. Friends say he had never recovered from his son’s death and was killed by the grief.

Additional reporting by PA