[Archived] Jailed over Twitter?

[Mr. E]

I am not from the U.K. so I have no idea how often this happens, what the exact law is, but...My link

Can anyone from the U.K. offer an explanation for how this is in any way different than North Korea or Nazi Germany-era policing? You are not allowed to express any kind of opinion whatsoever that goes against the public grain?

And you can be arrested for expressing it...on...Twitter? what?

I mean, the person might be a complete idiot, but as long as he is not actually physically harming or creating laws in favor of racism...how on Earth do you get jailed for offending someone?

What on earth is going on in England? Does the notion of civil liberties even exist?

[thenodrog]

Are you for real?

Dunno the answer to that but he does have a point. Banging up some gormless kid for making drunken comments on some irrelevent social network is just plain stupid, and especially so in a country that has just released known terrorist and Osama Bin Ladens right hand man Abu Qatada.

[cmb211087]

If he said the stuff on the streets he would be arrested. What he posted on twitter was beyond abusive.

[mcphee7]

Dunno the answer to that but he does have a point. Banging up some gormless kid for making drunken comments on some irrelevent social network is just plain stupid, and especially so in a country that has just released known terrorist and Osama Bin Ladens right hand man Abu Qatada.

Nonsense. He had to be made an example of. Twitter irrelevant? His tweets went viral and twitter has a community of over 200 million people. It was n unwise move when you consider the the vast majority of the sporting community had their eyes on the Muamba thing. If you decide to use such a base for your comments to spout your racist bile, which is a hate crime and illegal then you should expect to be punished.

If you, or anyone else, gormless, drunk or otherwise piped up with racist vitriol then you should expect a knock on the door.

[thenodrog]

If he said the stuff on the streets he would be arrested.

I very much doubt that.

[Jimmy Jupiter]

I very much doubt that.

As a police officer myself I can tell you he bloody well would have been.

[thenodrog]

If you, or anyone else, gormless, drunk or otherwise piped up with racist vitriol then you should expect a knock on the door.

Those comments are odious but 'Knocks on doors' were historically associated with Nazi Germany and Communist Warsaw pact countries. Are those the countries where freedom of speech is outlawed that you would want us to emulate?

Some drunken kid gobbing off inappropriately and later regretting it is just that. Nothing more nothing less. To varying degress I would wager that at some time or other we have all said things that we regret. Mighty difficult unsaying such isn't it?

[colin]

I am not from the U.K. so I have no idea how often this happens, what the exact law is, but...My link

Can anyone from the U.K. offer an explanation for how this is in any way different than North Korea or Nazi Germany-era policing? You are not allowed to express any kind of opinion whatsoever that goes against the public grain?

Hello Mr E & others,

The laws of the UK are slowly but surely evolving to take account of the internet. So if anyone posts something on Twitter or Facebook or any other social media site then they should realise that it is the equivalent of standing on the Town Hall steps with a megaphone and shouting it out loud.

It's probably not a good idea to equate it with Stalinist Russia nor Nazi Germany as neither of those regimes had to cope with the internet.

And it's been a long-standing rule that offering "I was drunk" is no excuse in law.

Cheers

Colin

[Clitherover]

I'm glad he got banged up, it will hopefully make any idiots think twice before putting racist comments on twitter in the future.

[AndyNeil]

some of the stuff this guy was coming out with was horrible, and then got very agressive with people who dared to challenge him. He obviously either thought he was untouchable, or just plain stupid. Either way, he got his comeuppance, and hopefully it will act as a reminder to all people about comments posted on Twitter and other social media.

[koi]

I'm glad he got banged up, it will hopefully make any idiots think twice before putting racist comments on twitter in the future.

Dam right. Same goes for these trolls on the internet.

[roverwhelmed]

I get a bit worried about people being named and shamed for their comments on Twitter. If it is them - then fine, if they say something on there that is awful (and the comments made about Fabrice WERE just sick) then they should be held to account for them.

I just worry that if it is just done in their name (if they leave themselves logged in or are hacked, for example), then their names and faces are splashed all over the internet and even mainstream media, they are possibly arrested - and it might actually be someone else doing it.

[AndyNeil]

I get a bit worried about people being named and shamed for their comments on Twitter. If it is them - then fine, if they say something on there that is awful (and the comments made about Fabrice WERE just sick) then they should be held to account for them.

I just worry that if it is just done in their name (if they leave themselves logged in or are hacked, for example), then their names and faces are splashed all over the internet and even mainstream media, they are possibly arrested - and it might actually be someone else doing it.

of course there has to be safegaurds in place for such events, and I'm sure that there are however there also has to be a level for personal responsibility in terms of online security.

[roverwhelmed]

of course there has to be safegaurds in place for such events, and I'm sure that there are however there also has to be a level for personal responsibility in terms of online security.

Good point!

[thenodrog]

Hello Mr E & others,

The laws of the UK are slowly but surely evolving to take account of the internet. So if anyone posts something on Twitter or Facebook or any other social media site then they should realise that it is the equivalent of standing on the Town Hall steps with a megaphone and shouting it out loud.

It's probably not a good idea to equate it with Stalinist Russia nor Nazi Germany as neither of those regimes had to cope with the internet.

And it's been a long-standing rule that offering "I was drunk" is no excuse in law.

Cheers

Colin

Lots of summary justice abounding on here. What next will be deemed acceptable? Kangaroo courts maybe?

I prefer the words of Voltaire..... "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. "

Course t'internet hadn't been invented back then, much less rent-a-friend sites like facebook and twitter.

[Jeru tha Damaja]

If you don't like Britain you could always leave, theno.

Apparently that's the freedom you're offered in Britain these days, conform or get out.

Funny how your insistence that people should accept this country for what it is doesn't apply when something rattles your cage.

Btw, I chose to settle in Tanzania. The government isn't brilliant, but the people are fantastic. Hopefully the move will be permanent in June. If you can't get over Britain locking up its racists and you can adapt to a laid back, positive lifestyle then feel free to join me.

[thenodrog]

Btw, I chose to settle in Tanzania. The government isn't brilliant, but the people are fantastic. Hopefully the move will be permanent in June. If you can't get over Britain locking up its racists and you can adapt to a laid back, positive lifestyle then feel free to join me.

Lucky them Jeru. I'm sure they are thrilled that you chose them above all others to live amongst.

As for the government, being African I'm sure it will have a level of corruption that would embarrass a Russian oligarch. Like the other ex commonwealth countries it'd be a much better place all round if it were run from Whitehall and still called Tanganyika.

[Jeru tha Damaja]

Because the British government represents the model of fairness, transparency and democracy? If we could get TANESCO to provide a reliable service for a fair price then we'd be well on our way in Tanzania.

Honestly, getting the police to do anything without parting with a small "token of appreciation" is practically impossible, but then the police in Britain never managed to do anything about the numerous assaults, burglaries and armed robberies in the area I lived in either, so nothing much changes.

What's the difference between wasting money on security gates and cameras that the police decide are illegal and paying a policeman a couple of quid to actually get your property back? Oh yeah, the latter is cheaper! Plus, the Tanzanian authorities are yet to detain me because I "fit the description" of a criminal, whereas I had a few days wasted back in good old, liberal Britain for just that reason. I can't help thinking that if my description had been 5'10", average build I would have been left alone, regardless of how many crimes had been committed by people fitting that description.

Anyway, it's not about the authorities as much as the people. Tanzanians are way more easy-going, even though they have less to smile about than Brits. Even going to work is a pleasure rather than a chore. I actually think I'm the lucky one. Exchanging Britain for the Swahili coast is a fantastic trade.

Instead of endlessly complaining about things I don't like and can't change I moved to a place where I'm happier. There's really nothing for you to argue with here, although I'm sure that won't deter you.

I'd pick up on colonialism, but I don't really need to because Britain decided it wasn't a good idea years ago, they're just waiting on you to catch up. I'd guess from your views on Africa that you haven't travelled the continent too much and that your education on the matter is less than extensive, so we'll leave that alone, too.

[thenodrog]

Plus, the Tanzanian authorities are yet to detain me because I "fit the description" of a criminal, whereas I had a few days wasted back in good old, liberal Britain for just that reason.

Really? Do you know I've never been detained by the police in my life. You must have a guilty look about you.

Exchanging Britain for the Swahili coast is a fantastic trade.

Could you pass it on Jeru? Too many people on this tiny island by far.

btw...Have you ever wondered why that is? It's not cos we've no lions I can assure you.

[mcphee7]

Those comments are odious but 'Knocks on doors' were historically associated with Nazi Germany and Communist Warsaw pact countries. Are those the countries where freedom of speech is outlawed that you would want us to emulate?

Some drunken kid gobbing off inappropriately and later regretting it is just that. Nothing more nothing less. To varying degress I would wager that at some time or other we have all said things that we regret. Mighty difficult unsaying such isn't it?

His regretfulness is irrelevant at the point of arrest. If he showed remorse in court then he might have found himself on the receiving end of a lesser sentence. Perhaps the sentence he did get was a softer one? . He chose to use a world wide, very relevant platform in the form of social network to spread racist remarks. Drunk or not, this is a crime and rightly so, its disgusting. Yes, we have all said things we wish we hadn't, thankfully in my case not racist but unfortunately for him he was silly enough to broadcast it to potentially millions of people on what he probably thought was an anonymous forum. Tough. Pay the consequences for your actions.

As for the knock on the door comment, I wasn't aware they were associated with that particular unpleasant past. I was using the innocuous comment to illustrate a Police Officer acting in the line of duty. Of course I wouldn't want us to emulate the countries in your post but if freedom of speech stretched to allow a man spreading racist remarks unpunished then we as a country need to have a long hard look at ourselves.

He was racist. It is a crime. He got caught. He got punished. Good.

I very much doubt that.

He would be arrested.

[Jeru tha Damaja]

Really? Do you know I've never been detained by the police in my life. You must have a guilty look about you.

Could you pass it on Jeru? Too many people on this tiny island by far.

btw...Have you ever wondered why that is? It's not cos we've no lions I can assure you.

Here we go again, I tried to put an end to it, but personal preference just isn't an option unless everyone 'prefers' to agree with you, is it?

Well 'looking guilty' isn't a crime, and it hasn't been an issue in an environment where I stand out from the crowd even more than I did in Britain.

I can only assume Britain's population is due to people living longer and having lots of children (in part because society has fostered a culture that seems to encourage teenagers to start families of their own before they've even finished school). Before you point to immigration (which seemed to be implied), let me point out that the net result of migration for the UK was an increase of 2.4million people between 1994 and 2010.

I expect you'll be wanting to point out that healthcare in Tanzania is of a lower standard than in Britain, but honestly, I'd rather live a shorter life and enjoy it than be caught up in the prevailing misery in Britain and live forever. Besides, I could always really annoy people like you and come back if I get ill, still got a British passport, after all. (Btw, that's a joke, don't stroke out.)

P.S. Don't be scared of the lions, they rarely come into populated areas. It's the mosquitoes that'll get ya! Or the Tsetse flies for that matter.

[philipl]

I don't know if this is the same guy but I was on Twitter when Muamba collapsed. After about 15 minutes some guy's obnoxious comment was forwarded to me.

Quite honestly, he could have removed the racial content and it would still have been behaviour that could have caused a breach of the peace. A poor bloke has all but dropped dead on live television and you have some idiot glorying in his misfortune.

[Kamy100]

The lad (Liam Stacey) who made those comments on Twitter about Muamba has been jailed for 56 days.

[AndyNeil]

not only was he mocking somebody who was basically dead on the football pitch, he was also giving it the "big I am" with people who pulled him up on his comments - lets see if he plays the big man while residing in the big house...

[Tom]

Broke down in tears in the dock.

Comments were bang out of order, typical Internet troll but he didn't think anything real could come of it, more fool him