Matthew Woods jailed for 12 weeks - for comments on his Facebook page about April Jones
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
- A man who posted "despicable" comments on his Facebook page about missing youngster April Jones has been jailed for 12 weeks.
Matthew Woods, 19, from made a number of derogatory posts about April and missing Madeline McCann after getting the idea from Sickipedia - a website that "trades in sick jokes".
He also wrote comments of a sexually explicit nature about the five-year-old who went missing last week from near her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales.
Unemployed Woods was arrested for his own safety on Saturday night and was remanded in custody ahead of his appearance at Chorley Magistrates' Court today where he pleaded guilty to sending by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive.
Chairman of the bench, Bill Hudson, said Woods's comments were so serious and "abhorrent" that it deserved the longest sentence they could pass, less a third to give credit for his early guilty plea.
Mr Hudson said: "We have listened to the evidence in what can only be described as a disgusting and despicable crime and the bench finds was completely abhorrent.
"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."
He added that families involved in cases such as these should not have to be subjected to any use of social media like this and should not be used to mistreat people in this way.
He said only a custodial term in a young offender institute was appropriate, which was greeted by applause from around 30 people sitting in the public gallery.
Mr Hudson concluded: "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."
Woods smirked as members of the public clapped before he was led from the dock.
Earlier, Martina Jay, prosecuting, said members of the public were so upset about his postings that they reported them to the police.
A "vigilante mob" of around 50 people later descended upon his house and the defendant was arrested for his own safety at a separate address.
Miss Jay prosecuting, said: "When interviewed by police he fully admitted he posted messages about the two missing children.
"He started this idea when he was at a friend's house when drinking, saw a joke on Sickipedia and changed it slightly.
"He said he did it in a bid to make people think his account had been hacked. He said it got out of hand and he was drunk while doing it."
He conceded to police that his Facebook account - available to a large number of people - had not been hacked and that he was responsible for all the postings made on October 3 and 4.
After meeting his client for the first time, defending solicitor David Edwards told the bench: "What struck me immediately is that the enormity of what he has done has finally sunk in.
"He did seem genuinely remorseful and regretful for what he had done.
"At the time he posted these comments not once did he think he would find himself where he is today."
He said Woods got the idea for the posting from Sickipedia "which basically trades in sick jokes".
"He realises this will have a profound effect on him," he continued. "With the publicity that has followed he will be known as the man who made these comments on Facebook.
"He has to live with this because of his stupidity."
Asking for a suspended sentence with a supervision requirement to be considered, he said that "in one moment of drunken stupidness he places himself at Public Enemy Number Two" behind the man accused of the more substantive crime involving April Jones.
What he posted was awfull but nobody should be jailed for being stupid. Free speech should be absolute.
This is an absolutely appalling sentence to impose for making a few unwise comments.
Unfortunately, until victims of the over-zealous knee-jerk judiciary we 'enjoy' in this country fight back and counter prosecute - The trend of punishing people on moral grounds will continue unabated.
The people responsible for the DESTRUCTION of this young man's life should be punished such that they serve as a deterrent to other legal authorities who may otherwise be tempted to jump on a like bandwagon.
I'm know I'm replying to you an incredibly long time after these comments.....but you're absolutely right and it's only got worse
@@herewardthewake3185 I know I'm replying after a long time, but YOU were right it has gotten worse , and......it's only going to get worse
O shit really I got some comments I have to delete I'll ttyl gotta go
@dessertraider91 yeah it's dealt with, he's in prison. if I were the father of either of those two girls, i'd be pleased he's there.
Good. Teach the sicko a lesson and make others aware that they can't get away with behaviour like that anywhere, not even on the internet. The sooner the web is properly policed the better. There are too many disturbed people out there who abuse the 'freedom of speech' act by posting abusive messages.
That's exactly what the Nazis said about free press in Germany, anything they deem 'offensive' can be prosecuted or hidden to destroy dissent. When speech is policed society falls
Going to jail for being offensive is absurd, if your offended that’s your offence keep it to yourself. Yes is wasn’t nice but when you start locking people up for bad taste views it’s a slippery slope into a totalitarian state!
Anyone called Mandy kins is automatically barred from sensible debate.
You've clearly got candy floss between your ears.
Careful who you bitch about. In the future, that rant you just had might be perceived as hate speech and you'll be in the same Nick as this teenager.
Get the point now, you fucking donut?
HYPOCRITE.