Is this really worth 12 weeks in prison?

[phil-sti]

Now I know his comments were insensitive and ill timed but 12 weeks for posting a sick joke?

People commit burglary and get less.

Now Frankie Boyle posted a similar joke about Jimmy Saville and Maddie McCann but I haven’t heard of him getting arrested and locked up. What are you opinions on this?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-19...

[Jasandjules]

No.

And I despair that it not only went to court but he was convicted too.

[HRL]

Bit of a disgrace really. As said above, if he'd been on stage and said it as part of a comic routine he might have got some press coverage and demands for an apology but that's probably all.

[Pesty]

No

[phil-sti]

This is just another example of judges being out of touch with the modern world.

[danjama]

What is going on???

[Oakey]

You are however entirely free to set up a page demanding he be hung from the nearest tree

[Adz The Rat]

What did he say??

[0000]

BBC said:

arrested for his own safety

That makes me shudder.

[TheD]

I can't belive they locked the guy up. Okay he is a scumbag for what he said but 12 weeks!! I know a lowlife that nearly killed a friend of mine by beating him to a pulp and all he got was a suspended. This is way Ott and can't be justice. Make him put on a boiler suit in bright yellow and get him out looking for her. Now that is a punishemnt in my eyes.

[Pothole]

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."

He forgot to mention the 'many in society' who couldn't care less what some individual ahole posts on Facebook.

[kowalski655]

This is madness,its just words, a bit iof bad taste.
The owners of Sikipedia must be expecting life!

[don4l]

Adz The Rat said:

What did he say??

He apparently made some comment about having the two girls in the back of his van. There were also sexual references.

A gang of 50 people gathered outside his house. It looks like he really made a lot of people very angry.

I believe in free speech. However we don't have the right to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theatre.

He wasn't expressing an opinion - he was deliberately trying to cause as much offence as possible. I'm not sure that we have the right to do this.

Don
--

[StottyZr]

As far as I'm aware he posted a joke along the lines of "What's Mark Bridger and Santa got in common..." although it does say he posted multiple comments. Anybody got an idea what he posted? Its hard to judge without the facts...

He posted them on his own fb page, these were screenshotted and posted on a seperate group asking people to report him thats when the trouble began.

Without him posting the jokes to Aprils family I can't see how this would be grossly offensive, but I will reserve judgement until I see what he actually put. Not even worthy of arrest from what I've seen so far.

[StottyZr]

Eugh I've just heard the punchline, I won't post it as its not very nice.

Saying that, it is clearly a "joke" very dark humour and tasteless but a joke nevertheless.

Definately shouldn't have been arrested.

edit: Just heard the full joke now, daren't repost for fear of jailtime.

Its not bad.

Edited by StottyZr on Monday 8th October 17:26

[Frik]

Whilst I worry about the precedent set here, as I understand it he was actively seeking a reaction and posted a number of things to stir the fire, not just a single joke.

[Pothole]

don4l said:

Adz The Rat said:

What did he say??

He apparently made some comment about having the two girls in the back of his van. There were also sexual references.

A gang of 50 people gathered outside his house. It looks like he really made a lot of people very angry.

I believe in free speech. However we don't have the right to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theatre.

He wasn't expressing an opinion - he was deliberately trying to cause as much offence as possible. I'm not sure that we have the right to do this.

Don
--

Of course he wasn't trying to cause as much offence as possible, he posted some stuff on Facebook. The 50 people who gathered outside his house should technically have been arrested for actions likely to cause a breach of the peace. If there is no place in a supposedly civilised society for sick jokes then there is certainly no place in same for vigilante bullst, especially if it's carried out by completely unconnected dheads. ETA the stupid fk who reposted it on another Facebook page connected to the family of the missing child should also be arrested and charged with the same thing.

Edited by Pothole on Monday 8th October 17:34

[Sheets Tabuer]

*looks at EXs facebook*

[rover 623gsi]

sending someone to jail for 12 weeks for being a being stupid tt is a totally over the top reaction

[pork911]

does anyone cause offence or do others take offence?