To think it's ridiculous this idiot got a jail sentence ?

[chattycaterpillar]

I'm going to start the post with a disclaimer that the man is obviously very unpleasant and a racist, nasty piece of work. Last July, he sent Marcus Rashford a single tweet calling him a F* N word following penalty fails. Obviously extremely nasty, and I have no problem with him being charged by the police.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10668157/Teenager-jailed-six-weeks-racially-abusing-Marcus-Rashford-Italy-penalty-miss.html

However, I'm genuinely concerned that insulting people online appears to warrant jail time, when the following crimes appear not to. I'd also add that part of my misgivings about actual jail time are this was a single, ( although thoroughly unpleasant tweet), is that it was one tweet, but not a sustained period of harassment.

Am I right in not understanding how sending one abusive message got jail time, but the following didn't:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-60480256

www.sunderlandecho.com/news/crime/sunderland-dad-caught-with-troubling-collection-of-child-abuse-images-3630498

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/gran-who-eight-out-10-23178021

www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/kettering-man-spared-from-prison-over-sex-assault-3545684

Don't be stupid. How often do we hear of people getting jail for an instance of online abuse?
Quite often.

When?

A few are summarized in this Guardian article, which is from 2014 and obviously there have been more since.

amp.theguardian.com/law/2014/jun/13/jail-someone-for-being-offensive-twitter-facebook

As a football fan, this is the most recent other instance that springs to mind:

www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/west-brom-facebook-rupert-jones-manchester-city-wolves-b1929862.html?amp

I think the judicial system stinks in this country and is caught wanting constantly. Jail sentences are short, if people get imprisoned at all.

However, I’m mixed race and I think that yeah he deserves to do time. The hatred that gets spewed online needs to stop and why not start by making examples of these shits? Hell, black people have been murdered and haven’t received justice. In fact black people in America are serving years of jail time often for nothing. Does that mean I don’t think similarly to other cases? Not at all. Using Rowling as an example, I stand with her all the way.

Getting him to make a load of violent and criminal mates in jail is a stupid idea. A million hours community service and an education would be my choice.

I also don’t think the steering of a conversation about racist of abuse of black men (Rashford not being the only target) to ‘what about white women’ in the blink of an eye is a very good look

You missed a critical point there didn't you - it's not 'what about white women', it's 'what about the death threats and misogynist abuse of ALL women that goes completely unpunished'.

I'm quietly comfortable with this piece of shit doing a spell in prison. Calling him an "idiot" downplays the damage behaviour like his actually does.

I'd also be quietly comfortable with a whole bunch of others who use racial abuse being imprisoned too. You cant change what people think but you sure as hell can teach them to keep it to themselves.

@ChiefWiggumsBoy

People certainly have been jailed for making death threats, and other threats of violence, to women over Twitter.

It does not happen for ‘general’ misogynist abuse though because, sadly, that isn’t a crime (the government blocked legislation that would have made it so, just last month).

Ok, change my 'all' to 'most'.

My point still stands that you missed out the critical point of it being death threats towards (white) women, not just what about white women.

My point still stands that you missed out the critical point of it being death threats towards (white) women, not just what about white women.
And I maintain that a story about racist abuse isn’t really the right place to raise that discussion, particularly where several of the contributions were only directly referencing the abuse directed at Rowling.

In comparing English police responses JKR is the most recent and appalling example but perhaps people would be more comfortable with comparing Rochelle Ritchie?

That is very strange I agree with you OP. If JK Rowling was a male footballer perhaps things would have worked out differently

I think he absolutely deserves jail time .take your point probably others do too .the fact that marcus rashford has done more for child poverty than keir starmer,seems to have missed this idiot. I don't know why the other crimes did not result in a custodial sentence. However it doesn't make it right to let this go

The alleged deluge of JK Rowling death threats happened in November of last year

No it didn't. It happened from December 2019 onwards but has been worst since June 2020. And I've seen it with my own eyes, and can link to evidence, so it isn't "alleged".

Getting him to make a load of violent and criminal mates in jail is a stupid idea. A million hours community service and an education would be my choice.

Agree.

www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/uk-online-abuse-against-black-women-mps-chilling

I'm wondering how many of these got a jail sentence I don't have time to go through it right now

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10440139/Asylum-seeker-spared-jail-sex-attack-vulnerable-woman.html

Hmmmm....another instance of a man who sexually assaulted a stranger with e=learning difficulties spared jail. Really can't see how sexually assaulting a woman with learning disability is less serious than sending an ( admittedly vile), tweet.

@SilverHairedCat

Do we know if JK Rowling ever made a complaint to the police about the threats made to her?

If she's not supporting a prosecution, will they bother with it? They can't police the entirety of Twitter.

I assume Marcus Radford supported this prosecution, possibly with the support of the England football team.

Yes, she has complained to the police several times about the constant deluge of death threats, rape threats, publishing her address online to haters, and spreading lies about her. She’s been told it isn’t a police matter.

What is very worrying is how randomly the law is applied and how unclear it is what the law even says.

I agree with OP. Six weeks in jail for a single tweet, when you look at the abuse JK endures on a daily basis, is shocking.

It's high profile. He's stupid enough to commit a crime (and racist abuse is a crime) in such a public way and towards a man who, at the time, the majority of the nation had a lot of affection for, he deserves it.

They're making an example of him and hopefully it works and encourages people to not be massive dickheads in future. One less racist troll can only be a good thing.

I would put it differently.

It is disgusting that the examples you gave did not get jail time.

The way you put it, it's like he shouldn't be jailed because the other examples weren't jailed and they were worse so he should not have been jailed for a lesser crime.

I know it probably sounds like the same thing but the focus should be not on why did he get jail time and they didn't, it should be why did they not get jail time when jail was wholly appropriate.

Firstly, it's not a race to the bottom.

Secondly, are you suggesting abusive racial slurs don't cause actual harm?

Absolutely this.
Other sentences should be harder IMO.

@RodiganReed

Firstly, it's not a race to the bottom.

Secondly, are you suggesting abusive racial slurs don't cause actual harm?

Not as much harm as pedophiles that get suspended sentences.

Are you really implying that a few words on the Internet, one tweet, can really harm someone so much that it warrants prison time?

Get over yourself.

Its always the same here , this was very high profile so it gets the sentencing But there is so much inconsistencies with sentences handed
Is prison the right thing or would some kind of education and community service maybe be better , unless he has previous or showed no remorse etc im not sure what prison will teach him or if it will educate him that this behaviour is so so wrong
But your right that it seems to all depend on the judge as two people can commit the same crime but get very different punishments
I expect this was one to show people this is not ok and you will br punished , think before you tweet etc

I don't think people who abuse public figures on social media should get jail sentences. I don't think what they do is right or should be tolerated, but the sentences should be fines, community service, curfews and restrictions on access to technology.

I do think, however that a lot of crimes should attract a mandatory prison sentence. Burglars, repeat shoplifters, repeat offenders generally, people who commit unprovoked assaults in the street, people who commit criminal damage etc should receive a prison sentence regardless of mitigating circumstances.

I think that crimes which cause physical harm or financial loss should always be treated more seriously than a bit of abuse on Twitter, especially when the abuse is targeted at a public figure.

It's a bit like the guy who made a joke about blowing up an airport a few years ago, he was a bit of a dick but wasn't actually making a genuine threat. Goodness knows how much was spent going after him, money that could have been better spent imprisoning actual criminals.