Another knee jerk reaction based on public opinion?

[flanajb]

I will put my cards on the table with this one and state that I became sick to death about having to listen to the story regarding a pro footballer collapsing on the pitch. Anyone would have thought it was the Queen who had collapsed on the pitch considering the amount of media time the guy was given. Don't get me wrong. I feel for the guy and I wish him well, but I suspect there are many others who die each year whilst exercising.

And then to top it off, some idiot who makes some stupid comments on twitter gets jailed for 56 days. WTF is that all about. This country has become controlled by the media. Even our judges seem to pass sentence based on how much media attention the underlying story is receiving.

Rant over.

 

[deserter]

Any idea what the actual charge was, because apart from being a jerk with no morals and a big mouth, I cant see how he actually broke the law.
When Saddam Hussien died we all said good riddance, should we all be jailed too?

Don't get me wrong either I really don't like what this guy has done but has he broke the law?

 

[Karl]

Any idea what the actual charge was, because apart from being a jerk with no morals and a big mouth, I cant see how he actually broke the law.
When Saddam Hussien died we all said good riddance, should we all be jailed too?

Don't get me wrong either I really don't like what this guy has done but has he broke the law?

Inciting racial hatred

"Last week he admitted inciting racial hatred when he appeared at Swansea Magistrates' Court and on Tuesday he was jailed for 56 days at the same court, the UK Press Association reported."

Cheers

Karl

 

[flanajb]

From all of the press article subjects I have read the only reported tweet was ''LOL. **** Muamba. He's dead!!!'' now, that to me does not sound like inciting racial hatred. The remark is very poor taste, but does it deserve a jail sentence?

 

[Karl]

You may not agree with it, but he was charged with it and he pleaded guilty (presumably with his own legal advice).

 

[flanajb]

You may not agree with it, but he was charged with it and he pleaded guilty (presumably with his own legal advice).

Whether I agree wit it or not is a different matter. The argument I was making was that he was only jailed because the Judge felt that there was a great deal of public interest in this matter. When in fact there was probably very little interest (especially from me) in this matter and it was just the media shoving it in everybody's face for days on end.

 

[Karl]

No, you said "that to me does not sound like inciting racial hatred". As I said, there was clearly a legal basis for charging him, and he pleaded guilty.

I don't know what the average jail term is for such a crime.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

flanajb-- if you read better papers you'd have seen the rest, and that was was extremely racist.
(sorry, it may have only been online newspapers)

 

[henton49er]

I don't think that his charge relates to the stupid comments he made about Muamba (the footballer who collapsed) but his responses to the negative postings (Tweets?) that others made back to him. It was those responses that he admitted were racially abusive and as such he deserves to be punished in accordance with the law. As he could have received up to seven years in prison for this offence, 56 days seems about right to me for what is a relatively minor offence.

I gather that he has also been suspended from his degree course at Swansea University - now that might be pushing it a bit too far. To jeopardise his whole future on the basis of a few silly Twitter outbursts is a bit much. He will already have the stigma of a criminal record to deal with.

Mike.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I don't think that his charge relates to the stupid comments he made about Muamba (the footballer who collapsed) but his responses to the negative postings (Tweets?) that others made back to him. It was those responses that he admitted were racially abusive and as such he deserves to be punished in accordance with the law. As he could have received up to seven years in prison for this offence, 56 days seems about right to me for what is a relatively minor offence.

I gather that he has also been suspended from his degree course at Swansea University - now that might be pushing it a bit too far. To jeopardise his whole future on the basis of a few silly Twitter outbursts is a bit much. He will already have the stigma of a criminal record to deal with.

Mike.

Sorry, I should have made the bit about the tweets clear.

 

[wobblycogs]

I read about this yesterday but I like to do a bit of digging before I go off on one so I thought I'd look up the offending posts. If anyone is interested they are here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA5v2eZ5ZZE

There is no doubt what this little toe-rag said was distasteful but is it really worth 56 days in prison? I certainly didn't see any incitement there, it was just him mouthing off at a few other people. If he'd shouted this in the pub on a Friday night he'd have been kicked out and nothing more would have been said about it.

I can't help feeling that in some ways the biggest victim here is the offender (note: I don't in anyway condone what he did). He now faces a tough month in prison, being kicked off his degree course and a life time of having to tell prospective employers that he has a conviction for inciting racial hatred (would you employ someone with that conviction?). His life as it was going to be is finished before it started because a few people were offended. It doesn't feel like justice has been served to me.

 

[RogerS]

I read some of this drivel on that YouTube link. Articulate, isn't he?

I do agree with the OP though. An interesting viewpoint here

 

[Mark A]

I've just watched the video above and still don't see why he was imprisoned. I've read much more offensive comments on YouTube in the past, yet those people aren't locked up and their futures jeopardised. Why do they waste their time persuing petty offenses like this when the prisons are apparently over crowded now as it is?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've just watched the video above and still don't see why he was imprisoned. I've read much more offensive comments on YouTube in the past, yet those people aren't locked up and their futures jeopardised. Why do they waste their time persuing petty offenses like this when the prisons are apparently over crowded now as it is?

The fuss is because the subject is a footballer--simples! All footballers are Gods.

 

[RogerS]

.... Why do they waste their time persuing petty offenses like this when the prisons are apparently over crowded now as it is?

Because this country has lost all sense of proportion and common sense.

 

[nev]

I thought jailing the mouthy little **** was a bit ott , but now I have seen the youtube rendition of said rant and I'm beginning to change my mind. He is quite obviously a lowlife that has a complete lack of respect for individuals or society and should quite rightly be punished for this outpouring of bile. I think a week in the stocks would be more appropriate!

 

[Noel]

Time to move on.