12 weeks in Jail for offensive web posts about poor April Jones

Rezident · 11-10-2012 03:06AM

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

tigger123 wrote: »

People need to realise that the things you post online are not viewed in the same way as the jokes you crack when you're around your friends.

People also need to realise that not everyone is as interested or outraged at things that happen in the world. People have to be allowed their own opinions even if everyone does not agree with them.

What if your opinion is that you just want to post cartoons of Mohammed all day?

SunDog · 11-10-2012 03:17AM

qA

CRM Ireland · 11-10-2012 03:57AM

I feel like posting up all manner of sick jokes on facebook just to have my day in court. You wouldnt see my apologising and trying ti justify my actions by saying I was drunk. Id say "FCUK you and your bullsiht, what about my freedom of speech? Lock me up, I will get back out and be even more determined to say what I like and when".

This whole matter is a damn disgrace. I couldnt care less what he wrote. He can write all the sick pedo kids jokes on his own page if he likes. If any of my friends started writing stuff I found offensive Id simply delete them from my friends list so I dont have to read it. Ive actually deleted quite a few of my friends wives off my friends lists because I was sick to death of their games invites and repetitive hourly updates on how great their kids are and how lucky they feel to be a mum! I hate it.

This is an extremely serious case which I hope gets pursued and discussed at length. How can we stand by and watch this blatant infringement on our rights of free speech? This will not be the end of this matter. There are many more people receiving custodial sentences for posting comments on social networking sites, but I fear there will be a huge backlash at some point.

steve9859 · 11-10-2012 08:23AM

1ZRed wrote: »

One of the reasons why I'm growing to loath social media and the bullshit reasons why people find themselves in trouble over something that's on their personal page to do as they please.

.

Someone else that thinks facebook is private and personal. Amazing how many people don't get it! Posting on your page on facebook is the same as sending a tweet.....all your friends immediately see it on their news feeds, and can re-post it to their own page so all their friends see it. Just the same as sending to followers on twitter

Only private bit on facebook is the one to one messaging.

Irish Guitarist · 11-10-2012 08:38AM

It's amazing the number of people that think 'free speech' means you can say whatever the hell you like. 'Freedom of speech' doesn't cover things like hate speech, harassment, libel or slander.

Happyman42 · 11-10-2012 09:56AM

The battle for the internet deepens! I love to hear people dimissing social media, especially those who once had unannoyed access to the media or airwaves, eg: writers, journalists, broadcasters etc. To hear jounalists and writers and broadcasters lament and have hissy fits about the public having access to such platforms is hilarious. The lines have been blurred and they don't like it, 'how dare the great unwashed have opinions', 'how dare they utter witticisms without an editor and with atrocious grammar', 'that's our job'!
Vested interests want control of these platforms folks, it's up to us all to fight them, establishment media is dying, this is one of the last gasp futile efforts to regain control..... jailing a 19 year old for being immature and lippy???:eek:
Fight or otherwise consign yourself to being fed only what they want you to hear or read...power to the people always.

Allyall · 11-10-2012 11:13AM

CRM Ireland wrote: »

I feel like posting up all manner of sick jokes on facebook just to have my day in court. You wouldnt see my apologising and trying ti justify my actions by saying I was drunk. Id say "FCUK you and your bullsiht, what about my freedom of speech? Lock me up, I will get back out and be even more determined to say what I like and when".

This whole matter is a damn disgrace. I couldnt care less what he wrote. He can write all the sick pedo kids jokes on his own page if he likes. If any of my friends started writing stuff I found offensive Id simply delete them from my friends list so I dont have to read it. Ive actually deleted quite a few of my friends wives off my friends lists because I was sick to death of their games invites and repetitive hourly updates on how great their kids are and how lucky they feel to be a mum! I hate it.

This is an extremely serious case which I hope gets pursued and discussed at length. How can we stand by and watch this blatant infringement on our rights of free speech? This will not be the end of this matter. There are many more people receiving custodial sentences for posting comments on social networking sites, but I fear there will be a huge backlash at some point.

I hear what you are saying, but you wouldn't risk it... EIther would i, and on that level, the idiots have already won.

I've said this before, and at the risk of repeating myself, i honestly think the only real crime that Matthew Woods is guilty of, is Using FaceBook.

Sickipedia is still going strong, currently joking about Matthew Woods.

Had he posted anywhere else on the Internet, he probably wouldn't have been noticed. FaceBook is great for all the people you hate. You wouldn't be friends with them in Real life, yet they are everybody's best friends on FB. The Peopl that went out of their way to get a mob together, to call to his house, had him brought to court and applauded when he was handed a 3 month sentence, are the idiots i'd be after.

I would actively seek each one of them, and press charges on all of them for perverting Justice, or Inciting Violence and Hatred, or attempted assault or whatever i could. I would point out to the Courts, that this is ridiculous i demand they get equal treatment, and I would point out that the Court does not seem to understand the Internet. FB is the only place that this idiocy exists.

I would love to see those 50 get done..

CRM Ireland · 11-10-2012 01:06PM

Allyall wrote: »

I hear what you are saying, but you wouldn't risk it... EIther would i, and on that level, the idiots have already won.

I've said this before, and at the risk of repeating myself, i honestly think the only real crime that Matthew Woods is guilty of, is Using FaceBook.

Sickipedia is still going strong, currently joking about Matthew Woods.

Had he posted anywhere else on the Internet, he probably wouldn't have been noticed. FaceBook is great for all the people you hate. You wouldn't be friends with them in Real life, yet they are everybody's best friends on FB. The Peopl that went out of their way to get a mob together, to call to his house, had him brought to court and applauded when he was handed a 3 month sentence, are the idiots i'd be after.

I would actively seek each one of them, and press charges on all of them for perverting Justice, or Inciting Violence and Hatred, or attempted assault or whatever i could. I would point out to the Courts, that this is ridiculous i demand they get equal treatment, and I would point out that the Court does not seem to understand the Internet. FB is the only place that this idiocy exists.

I would love to see those 50 get done..

The entire affair is just so disproportionate. From the baying crowd, to the sentence handed down to him.

A lot of the time, crowds form and people get caught up in the emotion of it. Pack behaviour almost seems like a primeval thing, where generally placid, law abiding folks can act completely out of character as they get swept along. I could imagine that some of that crowd outside his home were people passing by who came over to see what was going on, heard all the anti-pedo comments that would most certainly have been shouted, and joined in. I bet a few of them didnt even know exactly what he had done.

The sentence itself seems unlawful. How can the sentence be justified due to the amount of public outrage (more like jumping on the bandwagon) caused by a few comments, which were clearly jokes.

Someone posted above stating that we think our freedom of speech should allow us to spout about hate etc, but thats not what is being said at all. I dont expect I can walk down the high street, get on a platform and start shouting "I hate ****, send immigrants home" or any other such vile crap as that. Its clear that we are judging this based exclusively on the actions of this young man. He posted some jokes on his facebook page. That was it.

Its amazing how people are trying to warp things and start twisting the truth to suit their end.

My name is URL · 11-10-2012 01:22PM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

It's amazing the number of people that think 'free speech' means you can say whatever the hell you like. 'Freedom of speech' doesn't cover things like hate speech, harassment, libel or slander.

It's amazing that some people see what he done as being like any of the things you've mentioned.

It's already been stated a number of times in this thread, but freedom of expression does extend to causing others to feel offended. You can't hold someone criminally liable every time a group of people feel offended.

Lingua Franca · 11-10-2012 01:38PM

[-0-] wrote: »

Should Holocaust deniers be locked up as well? Certainly not, right? I would assert that Holocaust deniers cause more harm than Woods did copying a joke from Sickipedia and posting it on his page about two young girls who were, we assume, we murdered. Thousands, if not millions more children were killed during the Holocaust. This is just madness. The correct answer is of course, no, they should not be locked up. It's a serious waste of resources.

Holocaust denial is illegal in several countries and people have gone to jail for it.

I wholeheartedly believe in freedom of speech. Not because of my rights to be as offensive as I like, but because I like my crazies spouting out in public where I can keep an eye on them. I want to hear what they have to say so I can contradict them. I want to know what they are thinking and planning. Knowledge is power, and driving people underground is dangerous.

Blisterman · 11-10-2012 02:08PM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

It's amazing the number of people that think 'free speech' means you can say whatever the hell you like. 'Freedom of speech' doesn't cover things like hate speech, harassment, libel or slander.

Actually, the purpose of a right to free speech, is specifically to protect people with controversial, or even obscene opinions.

The reason for that is because nearly every idea which revolutionised the world for better or worse saw opposition and attempts at censorship when it was first proposed: The Theory of Evolution, Protestant Reformation, US Civil rights movement, the list goes on. In each case, what was being proposed was disgusting and abhorrent to the people of its day.

I'm not saying some idiot on Facebook is going to revolutionise the world, but that's its purpose, and the right to freedom of speech is an extremely valuable thing, which should be protected.

Latchy · 11-10-2012 02:38PM

Not everybody it seems is getting jail time for offensive remarks posted on FB.

A man who posted a Facebook message that said "all soldiers should die and go to hell" after six British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan was today spared jail.

Azhar Ahmed, 20, admitted posting the message two days after the deaths of the servicemen in March.

He was charged after the mother of one of the soldiers read the comments and was so upset she called the police.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/09/azhar-ahmed-spared-jail-facebook-rant-british-soldiers_n_1950591.html

Other idiots are getting jail time ...

A man who wore a T-shirt with offensive comments referring to the the killing of two police officers in Greater Manchester has been jailed.

Barry Thew, 39, admitted wearing the shirt, which made reference to the deaths of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Thew, of Worsley Street in Radcliffe, was jailed for four months.

Insp Bryn Williams said Thew's actions had been "morally reprehensible".

A police spokesman said Thew had been arrested after being seen wearing the T-shirt "just hours" after the two PCs died in a gun and grenade attack on 18 September.

He said the messages on the white shirt, which Thew was wearing in Radcliffe town centre, had been handwritten.

Mr Williams said that "to mock or joke about the tragic events of that morning is morally reprehensible and Thew has rightly been convicted for his actions".

"While officers on the ground were just learning of and trying to come to terms with the devastating news that two colleagues had been killed, Thew thought nothing of going out in public with a shirt daubed with appalling handwritten comments on," he said.

Thew was also sentenced to a further four months for breaching the conditions of an earlier 12 month suspended sentence for the possession of cannabis.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-19911943

Madam_X · 11-10-2012 03:04PM

Blisterman wrote: »

Actually, the purpose of a right to free speech, is specifically to protect people with controversial, or even obscene opinions.

The reason for that is because nearly every idea which revolutionised the world for better or worse saw opposition and attempts at censorship when it was first proposed: The Theory of Evolution, Protestant Reformation, US Civil rights movement, the list goes on. In each case, what was being proposed was disgusting and abhorrent to the people of its day.

I'm not saying some idiot on Facebook is going to revolutionise the world, but that's its purpose, and the right to freedom of speech is an extremely valuable thing, which should be protected.

He's not disputing that, just saying some people seem to think you could broadcast/publish whatever you liked up to now - you couldn't. And never could.

FourFourRED · 11-10-2012 03:12PM

I copied and pasted a joke from Sickipedia about the April Jones story on my Twitter page. Should I be jailed for 3 months too? :rolleyes:

Should Frankie Boyle be jailed for his 9/11 jokes? This is ridiculous.

Latchy · 11-10-2012 03:15PM

If everybody was made an example off half the world would be in jail .

Mickeroo · 11-10-2012 03:15PM

Madam_X wrote: »

He's not disputing that, just saying some people seem to think you could broadcast/publish whatever you liked up to now - you couldn't. And never could.

I think there's a difference between being able to say whatever you want and being able to crack a joke about whatever you want.

steve9859 · 11-10-2012 03:45PM

Latchy wrote: »

Not everybody it seems is getting jail time for offensive remarks posted on FB.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/09/azhar-ahmed-spared-jail-facebook-rant-british-soldiers_n_1950591.html

Other idiots are getting jail time ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-19911943

Was just about to post that story about the guy getting 8 months. We are all debating where the line is drawn in respect of this stuff, but that t-shirt IMO is not a joke that might be offensive to some people.....rather he is being deliberately and obscenely provocative....and IMO is over the line and punishment should be meted out.

With respect to the differences in sentences, you get different sentences laid down by different judges in every area. It is not specific to this particular issue. A burglar might get a suspended sentence from one judge, community service from another, and a year inside from another for the same crime. That is just how the justice system works, and the check and balance exists in the right to appeal, not only the right of the defendent, but also the right of the CPS if they feel the sentence is too light

Ush1 · 11-10-2012 03:47PM

Absolutely insane that he got sent to prison.

Have to say I'm suprised this happened in England rather than America where hate crimes are a big issue.

He said it on his own facebook page so basically for him and his mates? Would he have got sent down had his page been private?

Allyall · 11-10-2012 03:53PM

Ush1 wrote: »

Absolutely insane that he got sent to prison.

Have to say I'm suprised this happened in England rather than America where hate crimes are a big issue.

He said it on his own facebook page so basically for him and his mates? Would he have got sent down had his page been private?

I think it was a Public FB page that had fans. It was called something like "Sick Jokes" or similar.

There is so much more to this, People had been making complaints about him for a while, and nothing was done, so he was even more confident that he was operating inside the law. FB did nothing either, and actually still have tons of sick joke pages active.

This guy didn't even get a warning. Not that that should make a difference, as the whole punishment is ridiculous for this.

Ush1 · 11-10-2012 03:55PM

Allyall wrote: »

I think it was a Public FB page that had fans. It was called something like "Sick Jokes" or similar.

There is so much more to this, People had been making complaints about him for a while, and nothing was done, so he was even more confident that he was operating inside the law. FB did nothing either, and actually still have tons of sick joke pages active.

This guy didn't even get a warning. Not that that should make a difference, as the whole punishment is ridiculous for this.

But you had to like the sick jokes page to get it? As in, you would have to be avidly looking to be offended to find it.

What do people expect from a page called sick jokes?

end of the road · 11-10-2012 03:55PM

steve9859 wrote: »

that t-shirt IMO is not a joke that might be offensive to some people.....rather he is being deliberately and obscenely provocative

yeah, for those who want it to be, meanwhile for those who have a life, they will just get on with it, to be honest he was only arrested because of that particular police forces anger and upset, nothing else.

steve9859 wrote: »

and IMO is over the line

not enough to justify a waste of money like this.

steve9859 wrote: »

punishment should be meted out.

no it shouldn't, waste of money.

Allyall · 11-10-2012 03:58PM

Ush1 wrote: »

But you had to like the sick jokes page to get it? As in, you would have to be avidly looking to be offended to find it.

What do people expect from a page called sick jokes?

Yeah. That was his point a month or two ago, when people were complaining about something else. He kept telling them that they didn't have to log in to his page (or whatever the correct term is), to view the jokes that they didn't like. They could look at pages with funny animals etc..

He had a large group hating him before April Jones happened. So they just took their opportunity to pounce.

Latchy · 11-10-2012 04:02PM

steve9859 wrote: »

Was just about to post that story about the guy getting 8 months. We are all debating where the line is drawn in respect of this stuff, but that t-shirt IMO is not a joke that might be offensive to some people.....rather he is being deliberately and obscenely provocative....and IMO is over the line and punishment should be meted out.

That would be how I see it .If guy had some beef about the police beforehand and wore that T shirt as a protest, it is in the main, still obscenely provocative and also offensive to most people

With respect to the differences in sentences, you get different sentences laid down by different judges in every area. It is not specific to this particular issue. A burglar might get a suspended sentence from one judge, community service from another, and a year inside from another for the same crime. That is just how the justice system works, and the check and balance exists in the right to appeal, not only the right of the defendent, but also the right of the CPS if they feel the sentence is too light

That is why there is at the moment an ongoing debate in UK as to weather life should mean life instead of these 15,20 year terms .

Blisterman · 11-10-2012 04:04PM

Mr Starmer said the new guidelines would enable relevant authorities to use remedies other than criminal prosecution to address instances of offensive activity.

"The threshold for prosecution has to be high," he added.

"We live in a democracy, and if free speech is to be protected there has to be a high threshold.

"People have the right to be offensive, they have the right to be insulting, and that has to be protected."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19910865

Voice of reason from the most senior prosecutor in the UK.

Allyall · 11-10-2012 04:11PM

It's not totally dissimilar to Libricide or THIS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc7rBVUIHUg

In the end, i think it was those who did the burning, that came out looking like they should. I am not comparing Matthew Woods to the Beatles, or Miguel de Cervantes etc.. But i am comparing the Facebook Self appointed censors, to the people who used to burn all that material..

end of the road · 11-10-2012 04:22PM

story 1
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/09/azhar-ahmed-spared-jail-facebook-rant-british-soldiers_n_1950591.html

He was charged after the mother of one of the soldiers read the comments and was
so upset she called the police.

she should be charged with and jailed for wasting police time along with being forced to pay back every penny spent on investigating this and all court costs. their was nothing wrong with the comment to be honest, he does have a point, i have more concern for the innocent men women and children who are killed in war then those actually fighting it.
story 2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-19911943

Thew, 39, had admitted a public order offence and was jailed for four months.

public order offense my b////. a waste of time money and a prison space to.

Speaking after the hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Insp
Bryn Williams said Thew's actions had been "morally reprehensible".

so are a lot of things, racism for one. still you don't see people being dragged before the courts for some of the racist trash they write on facebook, unless of course its a celeb, all though its the average foreign national who has the trash writing about them so thats okay

A police spokesman said Thew, of Worsley Street, Radcliffe, had been arrested
after being seen wearing the T-shirt "just hours" after the constables died in a
gun and grenade attack in Mottram on 18 September.

yeah, proves my point his arrest was out of anger and upset of the police rather then the comments.

Latchy · 11-10-2012 04:30PM

Allyall wrote: »

In the end, i think it was those who did the burning, that came out looking like they should. I am not comparing Matthew Woods to the Beatles, or Miguel de Cervantes etc.. But i am comparing the Facebook Self appointed censors, to the people who used to burn all that material..

The burning of Beatles records back then is a perfect example of hysteria but as we know was done when a comment by Lennon was taken out of context but still managed to offend those southern bible belt Americans .

end of the road wrote: »

his arrest was out of anger and upset of the police rather then the comments.

A red rag to a bull will only make him charge .

Allyall · 11-10-2012 04:56PM

Latchy wrote: »

The burning of Beatles records back then is a perfect example of hysteria but as we know was done when a comment by Lennon was taken out of context but still managed to offend those southern bible belt Americans.

That's what originally reminded me. That these people were offended by something he said, and then acted on it.
FB is just a community, with, as in real life, plenty of people you don't like, watching your business. I'm not on it, nor will i ever be, but i watch the news and nearly once a fortnight without fail, something ludicrous happens on it. My perception of it is, the people that use it, don't have general common sense..

I added the book burning as an afterthought because of the stupidity of it.

steve9859 · 11-10-2012 04:57PM

end of the road wrote: »

yeah, proves my point his arrest was out of anger and upset of the police rather then the comments.

The upset of the police was due to him being deliberately provocative, which I don't think counts as free speech....the timing of it proves that. It is not a sick joke....it is deliberate taunting. And you're blaming the police...!!!

Ash.J.Williams · 11-10-2012 04:57PM

tigger123 wrote: »

People need to realise that the things you post online are not viewed in the same way as the jokes you crack when you're around your friends.

it's fine if you're frankie boyle but not if you are a teenager

12 weeks in Jail for offensive web posts about poor April Jones

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