What is the point.....

[Workingman]

...... of jailing someone for 18 weeks?

That is what was handed down to Peter Nunn for sending "menacing messages", via Twitter, to MP Stella Creasy. The CPS obviously though that he should go to Court, but the female Judge thought his crime was only worth a token sentence.

The thing is, what point is there in 18 weeks? He is obviously not a threat to society or his sentence would have reflected that, but putting him in prison could ruin his life and that of his family - partner and a three-year-old daughter.

There has to be a better way than prison for these petty crimes.

[KateLMead]

I agree Frank. Waste of public money.

[Suff]

Talking as someone who spent some time behind a barred steel door, whilst in the Army, there is something about the reality of someone else running your life 24x7 that tends to correct a tendency of typing without thinking of the consequences. 18 weeks means he'll serve no more than 9. Enough to get the message across.

Enough to let a lot of others know that sitting behind a computer does not entitle you to be sinister or threatening in a way that you probably would not be in a real life confrontation situation.

If it stops more of this trollish behaviour, I'm all for it. If one person in jail for 9 weeks means 100,000 think before pressing enter, then, perhaps, we should see a bit more of this careful and controlled punishment. Remember this is probably a fairly respectable family man who needs to learn a lesson. Not a hardened criminal who couldn't care less.

[Kaz]

If it stops more of this trollish behaviour, I'm all for it. If one person in jail for 9 weeks means 100,000 think before pressing enter, then, perhaps, we should see a bit more of this careful and controlled punishment. Remember this is probably a fairly respectable family man who needs to learn a lesson. Not a hardened criminal who couldn't care less.

Tending to agree.

[Workingman]

But why jail, even if it is only nine weeks?

I agree that he deserve punishing, but his family doesn't! He will come out without a job: probably. With a criminal record he will find it difficult if not impossible to find one in these austere times. He could lose his home. His partner might quit and take his child. And for what? A few nasty phrases on Twitbook.

How many people in this day and age are charged with using foul and abusive language? Go to any town centre pub tonight and you will hear: "I'm gonna kill you", "I'll kick your 'king head in", "You wait till I see your sister" and a hell of a lot worse. None of these things will ever be carried out, they are just some bozos being "hard".

This man could have been given community service or a fine. People would still notice and maybe think twice.

[victor]

if it was in a pub /town centre i would tend to agree with WM,but it was an MP-and they are important -in the establishment's eyes anyway

[TheOstrich]

It was a particularly nasty piece of trolling. Rape was threatened, was it not? I think that alone merits jail time; I have no particular problem with what Suff has indicated would be 9 weeks' incarceration. A couple of days in a tough prison and the rest in a category C or D will suffice.

I think it's also about sending a message to the social media trolls out there. More vulnerable folk have committed suicide after internet abuse.

People have complained that DLT shouldn't have received a suspended sentence. Interesting to compare and contrast ....

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014 ... lla-creasy

[Workingman]

You got it in one, Vic.

He was in Bristol they were in........ Cyberland. The chances of him knowing where they were are infinitesimally small. The chances of him carrying out anything are even smaller. It was no more than primary school playground stuff by a grown man with probably one Ribena to many. There has to be intent, and there wasn't any.

But, his terribly traumatised and nervous-wreck unable to live from day-to-day victim is an MP. So it's fine to ruin his life.

[Kaz]

He ruined his own life IMO It sends out a clear message that threats issued over the net will be taken seriously

It was a particularly nasty piece of trolling. Rape was threatened, was it not? I think that alone merits jail time; I have no particular problem with what Suff has indicated would be 9 weeks' incarceration. A couple of days in a tough prison and the rest in a category C or D will suffice.

I think it's also about sending a message to the social media trolls out there. More vulnerable folk have committed suicide after internet abuse.

This

[Suff]

Exactly what I was saying.

There are far too many people who think that they can, quite literally, intimidate the hell out of someone. Just because they are at a distance. Even my own Grandchildren are guilty of it but it's being punished out of them at an early age.

This is an adult who is supposed to be responsible. I know the argument about the down the town and all that. But they can only hassle the people directly in front of them and only if that person is there. Cyberbullying is worse. They can follow you everywhere you go on the web. Stalk you every waking moment and make your life a misery.

Time for that to end.

As for DLT. He may have a suspended sentence, but consider this. One speeding ticket and he's in jail. That will hang over his head for as long as this sentence lasts and has not expired. I think my views on the whole DLT scene have been accurately reflected by a few of the ladies on the forum. Quite honestly they were going to keep on going till he was convicted of something. I'm also pretty sure that they would never have reached court before Saville and the sensitivity to "doing the right thing".

Cyber bullying is never acceptable and using the word rape in an aggravated post to a woman and, honestly, the roof needs to fall in. If his family is damaged over this he has nobody to blame but himself.

I've said this over and over again. I'd rather everyone who does this gets the same sentence than one is punished and 100 do community service. Our society is breaking down. If we don't fight to save it, we're going to lose it.