custodial sentence for posting on Facebook

[GBJ]

So a 20-year old has been banged up for 12 weeks after posting "jokes" relating to the missing girl in Wales.

Obviously a stupid thing to do, but 12 weeks in nick at tax-payees expense? Really? Thought our prisons were already "overcrowded", so we waste space on this kind of serious offence?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Unless someone has completely misreported the facts, that is a ridiculous decision.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Just as ridiculous was his decision to plead guilty.

Idiot.

 

[maninasuitcase]

We don't know exactly what he posted, but here is a couple of snippets of what the judge said:

Chairman of the bench, magistrate Bill Hudson, said his comments were so serious and "abhorrent" that he deserved the longest sentence they could pass, less a third to give credit for his early guilty plea.

Sentencing Woods, Mr Hudson said: "The words and references used to the current case in Wales and that of the missing girl in Portugal are nothing less than shocking, so much so that no right thinking person in society should have communicated to them such fear and distress.

"The reason for the sentence is the seriousness of the offence, the public outrage that has been caused and we felt there was no other sentence this court could have passed which conveys to you the abhorrence that many in society feel this crime should receive."

I also guess, as this a new phenomenon, the 12 week sentence is designed to deter others from posting similar comments.

 

[MK Shrimper]

We don't know exactly what he posted,

Google them, they're "jokes" about being in a van with April and Maddie McCann.

He's a **** of the highest order and deserves a slap, but a custodial sentence is ridiculous quite frankly, and ruined his life for something so trivial.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Can't help think he's being held up to deter this kind of thing.

 

[ldnfatso]

What happened about the right to free speech or is that only truly applicable in the House of Commons? What about all of the recent Jimmy Saville jokes (I've probably received 20 of them), are they exempt?? Who decides what is acceptable and what isn't? It's a nonsense!

 

[Hotman]

Google them, they're "jokes" about being in a van with April and Maddie McCann.

He's a **** of the highest order and deserves a slap, but a custodial sentence is ridiculous quite frankly, and ruined his life for something so trivial.

Would you think it was trivial if it was your child?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Would you think it was trivial if it was your child?

Of course not, I'd want to kill the little ****, but tell me, why does he deserve a prison sentence?

 

[Jam_Man]

Its certainly not trivial its a disgusting thing to post on facebook, but 12 weeks is ridiculous.

There are a number of high profile cases of prison sentences, Liam Stacey the Fabrice Muamba incident, and the Sheff Utd rape case being otehrs, and I think OBL is right that the law is making a statement.

Rightly so, people shouldnt think the internet is an anonymous forum to abuse people on (albeit using facebook isnt anonymous).

Sure they could make examples of people without 12 weeks sentences though.

 

[Crawliano]

To be honest, there shouldn't be any punishment for it, we've all told/posted a "joke" in our time.

But if custodial sentences are to be enforced, can we just have done with it and lock Jim Davidson up for life?

 

[Pubey]

A ridiculous punishment.

 

[southend4ever]

Thinking of some crude jokes I have made in the past but I am not foolish enough to post to a social media network.

If what you are posting incites members of the public then I think this behaviour should be punished.

 

[Crawliano]

If what you are posting incites members of the public then I think this behaviour should be punished.

So essentially every opinion should be punished? Nobody agrees with everything, likewise we can't do away with the bad taste line. It just happens to be that instead of making a giggle about the looks of a celebrity or something the joke is about the unfortunate death of a young girl.

Like it or not, this has been happening for hundreds, if not thousands of years, it's just that these days people can't seem to take things with a pinch of salt without blowing everything out of proportion and wanting these people to be hung for their actions rather than ignored or just told to shut up.

Problem is these are the same people who will probably ask a policeman who's just pulled them for speeding or talking on a mobile if they've got "real crimes to solve", yeah, like bringing people who say bad things to justice and get them doing 9-10 in the pen.

Man the **** up people.

 

[southend4ever]

So essentially every opinion should be punished? Nobody agrees with everything, likewise we can't do away with the bad taste line. It just happens to be that instead of making a giggle about the looks of a celebrity or something the joke is about the unfortunate death of a young girl.

Like it or not, this has been happening for hundreds, if not thousands of years, it's just that these days people can't seem to take things with a pinch of salt without blowing everything out of proportion and wanting these people to be hung for their actions rather than ignored or just told to shut up.

Problem is these are the same people who will probably ask a policeman who's just pulled them for speeding or talking on a mobile if they've got "real crimes to solve", yeah, like bringing people who say bad things to justice and get them doing 9-10 in the pen.

Man the **** up people.

members, plural, being the operative word.

The abuse was released at a highly sensitive time on a public group on facebook. I believe he was throwing blame around in the middle of an investigation. It has not been confirmed that she is dead and yet he was wishing that upon her. All in a group that potentially 1 billion people could see.

This was not abuse and jokes amongst friends this was done in the public domain. The same reason that people have been found in the courts for abuse recently on twitter. Clearly the authorities are trying to stamp this out.

As it happens, I think the punishment is over the top. But I think some form of punishment is appropriate. To actually be involved in such a derogatory act makes you have to ask questions about these individual's mindsets.

It would seem that the OB quite like to arrest people for distasteful comments when drunk and disorderly. So, surely this is even worse when presumably sober?

It is this ignorant attitude which makes such crime seem acceptable, IMO.

 

[GBJ]

If what you are posting incites members of the public then I think this behaviour should be punished.

But who decides what is deemed enough "incitement", worthy of punishment?

Over the last Few years we've seen groups of Islamics/Muslims disrupting the troops returning home, spitting at them, burning poppies, marching on Embasseys. This to me is inciteful but the punishments have been minuscule, if anything, and I'm sure there were millions around the world who were aggrieved by this behaviour.

 

[Crawliano]

It is this ignorant attitude which makes such crime seem acceptable, IMO.

Not ignorance, it's more the fact that younger people these days seem to be getting progressively thicker, promiscuous and have no real concept of what "real life" is like any more. In fact they feel pretty much untouchable.

There's no excuse for being a prick but sites like Facebook and Twitter are so responsible for this knee jerk, trial by the majority shout as loud as you can to get (in the grand scheme of things) massive amounts of nothing achieved. If these same people campaigned for something a bit more worthwhile then I'd understand but they don't, it's all about going "YOU CAN'T SAY THAT - HANG HIM" when Tom Daley's dad is brought up by some ******** or now another one is going off spouting bile at people having some sort of en-masse outpouring of grief, yes, it's not nice, but going around throwing the book at people for being stupid is going to achieve nothing but making this country increasingly poorer.

If you're going to do anything round these jokers up and the likes of that Riley dick in a cancer ward and get him to make jokes or get this other prick to go sit and watch a victim support session then ask them to troll, they won't do it. Playground bullies are always going to exist, it just happens to be they have a better arsenal of tools at their disposal, I just don't know why when we're encouraged to ignore them at school we're not doing the same thing now.

Then again though, look at the trolls on this site, as much as you can just ignore them there's some people who just can't help themselves but bite and that feeds their stupid little egos and then these people who bite get more angry.

 

[southend4ever]

But who decides what is deemed enough "incitement", worthy of punishment?

Over the last Few years we've seen groups of Islamics/Muslims disrupting the troops returning home, spitting at them, burning poppies, marching on Embasseys. This to me is inciteful but the punishments have been minuscule, if anything, and I'm sure there were millions around the world who were aggrieved by this behaviour.

Well that is a good question. I completely agree with your post. Who decides? The law/The courts - they punish as them deem appropriate to the laws I presume. Religion on the other hand well lets not go there. It's a good question. One I don't have the exact answer for.

 

[southend4ever]

Not ignorance, it's more the fact that younger people these days seem to be getting progressively thicker, promiscuous and have no real concept of what "real life" is like any more. In fact they feel pretty much untouchable.

There's no excuse for being a prick but sites like Facebook and Twitter are so responsible for this knee jerk, trial by the majority shout as loud as you can to get (in the grand scheme of things) massive amounts of nothing achieved. If these same people campaigned for something a bit more worthwhile then I'd understand but they don't, it's all about going "YOU CAN'T SAY THAT - HANG HIM" when Tom Daley's dad is brought up by some ******** or now another one is going off spouting bile at people having some sort of en-masse outpouring of grief, yes, it's not nice, but going around throwing the book at people for being stupid is going to achieve nothing but making this country increasingly poorer.

If you're going to do anything round these jokers up and the likes of that Riley dick in a cancer ward and get him to make jokes or get this other prick to go sit and watch a victim support session then ask them to troll, they won't do it. Playground bullies are always going to exist, it just happens to be they have a better arsenal of tools at their disposal, I just don't know why when we're encouraged to ignore them at school we're not doing the same thing now.

Then again though, look at the trolls on this site, as much as you can just ignore them there's some people who just can't help themselves but bite and that feeds their stupid little egos and then these people who bite get more angry.

Top Post, Crawliano. Have some green.

When you put things into perspective like that then yes I completely agree.

Sadly though laws are laws and it shouldn't be a case of one person to another gets different treatment. If we don't highlight these scum bags behaviour then it may well spiral out of control. A few prison sentences should start to deter such behaviour.

A lot of death threats get thrown about these days and each person will take them differently. If the actions/comments from one person are going to impair anothers life significantly then I think strong punishment is definitely a consideration. Freedom of speech is one thing but outright public bullying and humiliation is another.

From what we have both said it is clear that a line needs to be drawn somewhere but where is the question?

If some little punk walked up to your grandad, and shouted abuse at him, vile abuse, why should that go unpunished? Of course many would choose to take matters into their own hands but then they would be the ones being nicked for GBH or Assault. I agree many of these cases are a waste to the taxpayer but if we tolerate this behaviour then I wouldn't fancy being a teacher in years to come and they can certainly bring back smacking. Kids need to be taught a lesson or they will continue to step further and further over that dotted line.

 

[Davros]

I would say in this case surely community service (in the affected area) would have been the best punishment