Student jailed for racist Fabrice Muamba tweets

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kat06sa

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A student has been jailed for 56 days for posting offensive comments on Twitter about the on-pitch collapse of Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba.

Liam Stacey was arrested after his tweets were reported to police by Twitter users from across Britain, including the former England striker Stan Collymore. The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to the Racially Aggravated s4A Public order Act 1986. He posted his offensive comments shortly after Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest during his team's FA Cup quarter-final tie against Tottenham Hotspur on 17 March.

Stacey sobbed throughout the hearing and held his head in his hands when he was sentenced. He was led away in handcuffs.

District judge John Charles told Stacey: "It was racist abuse via a social networking site instigated as a result of a vile and abhorrent comment about a young footballer who was fighting for his life. At that moment, not just the footballer's family, not just the footballing world but the whole world were literally praying for his life. Your comments aggravated this situation.

"I have no choice but to impose an immediate custodial sentence to reflect the public outrage at what you have done. "You committed this offence while you were drunk and it is clear you immediately regretted it. But you must learn how to handle your alcohol better."

Other Twitter users criticised Stacey's original post, prompting him to retaliate by posting a series of offensive and racist insults, some of a sexual nature, aimed at his attackers.

In mitigation, Gareth Jones, defending, said: "The first comment [he] wrote was in relation to Fabrice Muamba. He does not bear him any grudge and he is glad he is making a good recovery. My client simply lost his head and posted these disgusting comments to the bitter shame of himself and his parents."

Jones said Stacey feared his university career was over: "He is no longer welcome at the institution because he has damaged their reputation and there are fears of reprisals."

Jones depicted Stacey, originally from Pontypridd, as a "kind and caring person" with friends of different ethnic backgrounds. He said Stacey was due to take final exams in his biology degree and had ambitions to become a forensic scientist, a career which was now almost certainly lost to him.
Jim Brisbane

, chief crown prosecutor for CPS Cymru-Wales, said: "Racist language is inappropriate in any setting and through any media. We hope this case will serve as a warning to anyone who may think that comments made online are somehow beyond the law."

Swansea University, where Stacey is a biology undergraduate, said after the hearing that he had been suspended and a disciplinary hearing would be held.

Lisa Jones, prosecuting, told Swansea magistrates at an earlier hearing: "Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch and was believed to have died. Shortly after, Stacey posted on Twitter: 'LOL, **** Muamba. He's dead.'"

After other Twitter users criticised Stacey, prompting him to post further offensive and racist comments, users reported him to police forces around Britain.

Stacey branded people who criticised him on Twitter as "wogs" and told one to "go pick some cotton".

The court heard Stacey tried to claim his account had been hacked and tried to delete his page.

He texted a friend to say: "I said something about Muamba that I shouldn't have and tweeted back to some people who abused me. Getting police on me now, which isn't good at all."

Police arrested him in Swansea the day after Muamba's collapse. When interviewed, Stacey said he was drunk at the time, having been drinking since early Saturday afternoon while watching the Wales v France Six Nations rugby match.

He told police: "I was at the bar when I heard what had happened to Muamba. I don't know why I posted it. I'm not racist and some of my friends are from different cultural backgrounds."

The swiftness of the arrest demonstrates how seriously police are taking the posting of potentially criminal comments on social networking sites by so-called trolls.

After his initial court appearance, where he was warned he could be jailed, Stacey was released on bail on condition that he stayed off Twitter and other social networking sites.

A statement released on Monday by Barts and the London NHS Trust, where the footballer is being treated, said: "Fabrice Muamba remains in intensive care at the London chest hospital where his condition is serious but stable. He continues to make encouraging progress in his recovery.

"Over the weekend, he has been able to sit out of bed for a short time, watch television and has begun to eat. However, he will need to continue to be closely monitored by the medical team for some time."
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/27/student-jailed-fabrice-muamba-tweets :wtf:

Long arm of the law reaches the social networks. This POS deserves to be jailed.

http://chirpstory.com/li/5261 for the actual tweets.
 
I don't know how I feel about this. I highly doubt anyone was "hurt" by his comments on twitter.
Luckily I can say what I want on the internet and not get arrested.
 
In a word, 1984.

Don't let people know what you *think*
 
While I think he should be punished I also feel that it should not be a life sentence which is what this is looking to turn out too. The lad is 21 , even if he meant it there are ways for rehabilitation. The biggest racist have turned around and become anti race champs in the past. He has his whole future ahead of him to look forward too. I actually feel sorry for the youngster and hope he recovers and learn from this horrible mistake.
 
Apache said:
In a word, 1984.

Don't let people know what you *think*
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I also thought that too when I first read it. Big brother's monitors has moved onto the net.

TheHiveMind said:
I think you should be jailed, because you would throw someone into a cell full of *actual* criminals because he "hurt your feelings" with some moderate words. What you have done here, right now, is much more morally repugnant than what he did.
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I've always had a zero-tolerance attitude towards racism (especially casual racism) and if that offends you then let it be.
 
kat06sa said:
I've always had a zero-tolerance attitude towards racism (especially casual racism) and if that offends you then let it be.
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It does, and it pushes everyone further to my side of the political spectrum. Thanks for that ^_~

I hear you can't vent about nato murdering people in the mid east either if you're a muslim.
Clever, now they can't track possible terrorists. No doubt they are just trying to hide the problem from the eyes of the public, forget all the other consequences. Such a leftist thing to do, try to hide reality at all costs, they are terrified of the place the world really is, because they are cowards.
 
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Wow. What a freak. I'm not sure the little fit he threw means he deserves jailtime. A hectic fine maybe but jailtime. I don't know.


Apache said:
In a word, 1984.

Don't let people know what you *think*
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This opinion I don't agree with. This was Twitter mate. There can be no expectation of anonymity or privacy on a Twitter profile where your identity is known.
 
I often converse with the kinds of people who have zero tolerance for discrimination, those kinds of people are ironically far more tolerant of robbery, rape, murder...
And then they have the audacity to paint people who discriminate as monsters.
It's like a black pot, calling a grey kettle black.
 
TheHiveMind said:
I often converse with the kinds of people who have zero tolerance for discrimination, those kinds of people are ironically far more tolerant of robbery, rape, murder...
And then they have the audacity to paint people who discriminate as monsters.
It's like a black pot, calling a grey kettle black.
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When you've been on the receiving end of a racist attack, you start to see things differently. When someone is assaulted, beaten to within an inch of their life for no reason except for his skin colour, you see things differently.

As I've said, if you find all forms of racism acceptable, let it be.

P.s. I pray for the rape, murder & robbery stats to go up everyday. <--- Sarcasm
 
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Sheesh, read the tweets and no doubt the guy is a complete ass, but to lose his future over hurting someones feelings? Yes, they are disgusting comments and sentiments, but I think even jail time is a bit harsh.

His punishment could have been better thought out and some kind of community service in deprived areas or whatever would have been better. Helping underprivileged kids sort of thing, then his swift public humiliation could have been used in a positive way to his eternal embarrassment.
 
kat06sa said:
When you've been on the receiving end of a racist attack, you start to see things differently. When someone is assaulted, beaten to within an inch of their life for no reason except for his skin colour, you see things differently.
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A victim of the failures of the leftist "we can all get along" ideology, as much as anything.

kat06sa said:
As I've said, if you find all forms of racism acceptable, let it be.
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I uphold the right to discriminate, that's much bigger than racism. You won't let me let it be, you are encroaching upon, and oppressing my values even to the point of advocating jailtime for typing a few words on the internet, so I assume you will push us to confrontation.

kat06sa said:
P.s. I pray for the rape, murder & robbery stats to go up everyday.
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Cute. Leftists often fall over themselves excusing them as "products of our society", unlike casual discriminations for which they call for blood.
 
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Spizz said:
Sheesh, read the tweets and no doubt the guy is a complete ass, but to lose his future over hurting someones feelings? Yes, they are disgusting comments and sentiments, but I think even jail time is a bit harsh.

His punishment could have been better thought out and some kind of community service in deprived areas or whatever would have been better. Helping underprivileged kids sort of thing, then his swift public humiliation could have been used in a positive way to his eternal embarrassment.
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Yes I think this is a far better idea than my fine approach. Community service would have been an excellent choice. Well said Spizz.
 
the guy has been publicly humiliated already, that is enough as it is. he has lost the chance to continue with his studies and get his degree. a fine and community service would have been ample punishment. the justice system made their point already but to imprison him is a tad bit much.

we always have to listen to rapists, murderers etc say they were under the influence of something. which is worse here. i'm not advocating racism whatsoever, all i'm saying is a rapist, serial killer is allowed to plead substance abuse and gets psychiatric evaluation and the public must listen to some clot in the court carrying on how the offender had an abusive child hood.
 
TheHiveMind said:
A victim of the failures of the leftist "we can all get along" ideology, as much as anything.
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Are people born racist, or do certain individuals in society turn them into a racists?

You can hold onto your views as much a you like. Form a club for all I care. But when you openly and directly project them onto someone else (by name), you have already started the unsolicited confrontation. Which in this day, always escalates. As much as you hate the Bill of Rights, I.e. human dignity, but they serve to protect. Though I admit jail time is extreme. My hardline stance on the punishment remains.

So I apologize for wanting to live in a better world, and prevent the fire before it lights.
 
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