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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

internet troll jailed - a bit ott?

204 replies

netherlee · 13/09/2011 23:30

Troll jailed

OK this man is depraved and he deserved to be punished, but AIBU to think prison is a bit far? Then again, MN trolls take note. There are consequences if you cross the line.

OP posts:
duchesse · 14/09/2011 00:24

I agree Maryz- maybe he is a member of another online community that likes to pull silly stunts of this kind and he just went too far in a bid to impress them.

JLK2 · 14/09/2011 00:30

He should be banned from the internet for life IMO.

worraliberty · 14/09/2011 00:36

I think in cases like this, no-one will ever really know if his AS had anything to do with it.

On the one hand it might...on the other hand it might have had nothing to do with it and he might simply be an evil twat.

No-one will know for certain...least of all the judge because let's face it, Solicitors/Barristers will encourage their clients to 'play on' just about anything they can to win the case.

My friend's DP got pulled for drink driving and when his Solicitor found out he'd spent time in a care home as a child, that got brought up in court in his 'defense' ffs Confused

I'd hate to be a judge in these sort of cases.

silverfrog · 14/09/2011 00:38

it is possible to test a person's empathy and understanding of the world, though.

and it would be possible to investigate this as part of the case.

I agree we do not know whether his actions were as a result of his AS, or as a result of being an arse. BUt I do not hold out much hope that the AS side of the defence was investigated fully (and not so it could be used as an excuse, but so that his actions coudl be fully understood for what they were)

WilsonFrickett · 14/09/2011 00:41

What Maryz said.

Something like an internet ban (although how would that work?) would serve better than prison IMO, if there is a true AS diagnosis here. An internet ban would protect the public, rather than simply punishing an individual who may not have been in control of their actions, or realised what harm their actions would cause.

But as the news report says 'sentenced' rather than 'found guilty' you have to assume that background reports have been prepared?

worraliberty · 14/09/2011 00:41

It is a tough one silver

And then again, as understanding as I like to think I am about AS or any other condition...I do know if that was my dead son or daughter he mocked, I'd want him locked up and the key thrown away no matter what SN he did or didn't have.

But I suppose that's just the Mum in me talking Sad

fit2drop · 14/09/2011 01:04

Well hopefully its the start of sending out clear messages to face bookers/ social networking etc that this sort of bullying will not be tolerated.
Bullying on social networking sites has become far too prevalent so maybe just maybe the courts/ police will use this as a bench mark for any future anguish these cowards cause

SouthernFriedTofu · 14/09/2011 02:43

Yabu, glad he got in trouble. If he had created a video and left it on their doorstep and left notes in their mailbox make it seem less ott? He harrasssed families who had lost children the fact that it was online is irelevant.

I realise some people are claiming his As migh have affected his judgement but while I accept some people might tell off colour jokes and not have the empathy to realise they may offend others (like when telling friends jokes or sending on those horrible text jokes that appear after every major world tradgety)... I can't belive he really thought the families in question would find them funny Hmmt

cingulare · 14/09/2011 03:09

What this boy did is absolutey dreadful and must have caused immense distress......

Boys like this always stand out in prison, they don't 'fit in' and get horribly bullied/tormented because they lack the social 'know-how' to survive there.

He will probably have to be kept in a safe environment within the prison [rule 43] for the length of his sentence. So wonder why it's so vital -other than as a message to other trolls - to incarcerate him if he'd be so vulnerable?

IMHO a more imaginative, rehabilitative sentence would be better.

But then you can say that about many young people in the prison system.

Thumbwitch · 14/09/2011 04:13

WilsonFrickett, part of his sentence is a 5year ASBO/ban from social networking sites. which is as it should be.

I have a friend here who has a 16yo with Asperger's. He knows that rules exist, he even understands them - but what he cannot do is necessarily accept them, if he thinks they are stupid or don't apply to him. You could say his arrogance is breathtaking - but it's not that. His Asperger's affects his ability to understand the "greater good", or the social reasons for the rules - he can only apply them to himself. So when he hacked into the school's computer system so he could access the internet in school time, he couldn't see why that was wrong - he wanted to use the internet, the bar on it appeared stupid to him and it was easy for him to get into it and change it, so why not? he was of course punished for it but it STILL didn't register that this particular rule made any sense - so he did it again. And was punished again.

Finding a way to explain stuff to him so that it makes sense to him is quite hard, my friend finds. He has the IQ, just not the ability to extrapolate outside of himself.

I can't say whether or not the man in question here did this because of his Asperger's or because he's a nasty bastard or because he's sad, drunk and lonely or a combination of all 3 - but it is quite possible that the full ramifications of his actions would have eluded him.
Still - it sends a message to the rest of the trolling world - don't fucking do it or you'll end up in jail, you nasty bastards.

CaptainMartinCrieff · 14/09/2011 04:28

I admit I know very little about Aspergers... But irrespective of any condition, disease or diagnosis people either commit crime or don't and that is up to a jury and a judge to decide. If deemed to be criminal then sentence appropriate to the crime according to the law needs to be served and in this case I still believe he should go to prison, anyone with condition, disease and/or diagnosis will/should receive appropriate support in prison.

VivaLeBeaver · 14/09/2011 06:35

I think he knew how much upset he was causing. I read that the girls sister messaged him on the Facebook account he created telling him how upsetting it was and he just sent a really vile message back.

GetAwayFromHerYouBitch · 14/09/2011 06:39

Maryz - can I just say how eye-opening your posts are.

troisgarcons · 14/09/2011 06:42

The Mail can reveal that his father is John Duffy, 54, who wrote for Terry Wogan?s Radio 2 Breakfast show and found success when a spoof Twitter account he set up parodying Cheryl Cole ? called ?Cheryl Kerl? ? became a hit.

Parodying his father by the looks of it.

startAfire · 14/09/2011 07:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cingulare · 14/09/2011 09:47

Not so long ago 10% of young male prisoners in YOI had AS. Always, seemed a lot to me - x10 rest of the pop. Court diversion schemes try to keep them out of custody now unless they are violent/dangerous.

festi · 14/09/2011 09:53

startafire there are forensic learning disability units that are similar to secure mental health units, usual individuals are under a mh section in these units or serving costodial scentances.

WorzselMummage · 14/09/2011 09:58

He's a nasty bastard and deserved longer.

TurkeyBurgerThing · 14/09/2011 10:02

Unpleasant little cunt had got what he deserves.

kelly2000 · 14/09/2011 10:06

I think jail is right, I do not see why being abusive on the internet is any different from sending abusive things in the post.

He has aspergers, and his defence said this meant he did not understand that he would upset people. But it seems to be that he went out of his way to try to upset their families - for instance on mother's day he went to the trouble to go to a girl's memorial page and wrote "help me mummy, it is hot in hell", so it was not as if he was just making random jokes which happened to upset the family, he targeted the family and in this case chose a particularly significant day to get at her mother. He went out of his way to take time and trouble to hurt the family. He also took the trouble to find memorial pages, he was not just randomly being offensive. He knew exactly what he was doing.

It was also not the first time he has been in trouble with this sort of thing, he had been given a warning previously for this type of behaviour.

cingulare · 14/09/2011 10:07

festi, what would happen to a young person with AS who didn't have a learning disabilty - average ability is common in AS? Would an LD service/team still be involved?

I know this sort of thing varies between different areas. Here there's virtually no services for adults with ASC - health or social care.

kelly2000 · 14/09/2011 10:15

Can I just ask if his crime had not been computer related would people have been as keen to excuse it because of aspergers syndrome. I mean if he had stalked a girl, or abused an ex who left him, of if he had posted the stuff to the families etc would people have thought jail was inappropriate because he also had aspergers?

WineAndPizza · 14/09/2011 10:16

I agree with Kelly that if he understood enough to target specific people on relevant days then he must have known that is what would cause maximum hurt - so therefore seems to have an understanding of how his actions affect people.

He said some truly horrendous things - the 'help me mummy it's hot in hell' and 'spoilt little cunt' comments being among them. I can't imagine the grief and horror and disgust this must have caused the families. He, and others, need to be shown that this behaviour will not go unpunished.

CheeseandGherkins · 14/09/2011 10:16

I think he knew that it was wrong considering the article says that he'd already been cautioned for similar offenses...

festi · 14/09/2011 10:21

I think it would vary to be honest. I have in the past worked with a young man with an AS diagnosis who had a very good academic IQ so to speak, however, he was elective mute and had lived with his parents he was avery vulnerable person due to his AS, he was only involved with LD team due to the nature of his offence as it would have carried a custodial scentance, the police took a very sympathentic approach and persuaded the victim of crime not to press charges. He was then taken into the compulsory care of the LA as it was deemed that he and his family and others were at risk without stringent managment in place.

However I also know another young lad who was sent to prison as he was not deemed vulnerable. I think it depends what happens at arrest and in court. I would say that a while back the learning disability teams would take responsibility for anyone with a diagnosis, unfortunatly that is no longer the case. wich has its pros and cons.

I did some agency work at a local forensic unit and there was a mix of individuals, some with little or no significant LD to some who were very disabled.

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