Comments on: Manchester man given eight months jail for cop-killer T-shirt

By: On The Offensive… « Back Towards The Locus

On The Offensive… « Back Towards The Locus — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 13:53:23 +0000

[...] avoided jail. That’s a sick joke right there. Woods’ prosecution, and those of Azhar Ahmed, Barry Thew and others, are evidence of a draconian attitude towards “offensive” speech that’s [...]

By: Britain’s illiberal state » Spectator Blogs

Britain’s illiberal state » Spectator Blogs — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:00:28 +0000

[...] if to confirm that the Bar is indeed trading in absurdities, another court has now sentenced Barry Thew to eight months in prison (four of which relate to a bail offence) for wearing a t-shirt on which [...]

By: justice

justice — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 06:00:26 +0000

im too scared to write anything

By: Beermatman

Beermatman — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:13:44 +0000

I totally disagree with all the comments about “free speech”
How can we support the right of free speech no matter what is said or written?
We have just extradited the man with a hook; and quite rightly so, for he was preaching Jihad and the killing of people… Where is the difference between him and a man walking the streets with a tee shirt (placard) saying “killacopforfun”..?
How far are the “free speechers” prepaired to go.
What if the next low life to appears on the streets with a tee shirt saying “rape a grandmother for fun” or “shag-an-infant.com”….. !!!
Wake up you lot…. It’s time to make a stand for morality!!!!
Beermatman

By: Irene Henning

Irene Henning — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:38:33 +0000

This is clearly a very foolish person, but a jail sentence of any length is equally foolish. And very worrying. Doesn’t seem British, somehow, more the sort of thing you expect in repressive societies.

By: Mike Smith

Mike Smith — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:08:56 +0000

Im not liking where the UK is heading with this ban on free speech, ok this guy was foolish and the facebook guy was just a knob but its still their opinion and they are entitled to it. Perhaps we’re just getting ready for losing all of our rights when we become an islamic nation.

By: Oliver F

Oliver F — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:29:49 +0000

This case is a very worrying and grotesque overreaction. Wearing this T-shirt was clearly unpleasant, insensitive and offensive. Arguably, as Inspector Bryn Williams stated, it was “morally reprehensible” but that does not necessarily mean that it was or should be a crime.

If we are going to start criminalising and imprisoning everyone who says or writes something stupid, insensitive or offensive then we are going to need to build a lot more prisons. You could even argue that a certain conservative politician should maybe be imprisoned if we are going to head down this road.

The proper response to incidents like this one, the Fabrice Muamba case, the April Jones joke case and others, is to reply with debate of the issues, criticism, condemnation or to simply ignore them. Prosecutions and jail terms are a ludicrous overreaction that only brings our justice system into disrepute and damages freedom of speech and expression.

By: Ben Boult

Ben Boult — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:05:13 +0000

Also, this case is a great demonstration of why the ‘Reform Section 5′ campaign doesn’t go nearly far enough (this conviction relies on Section 4a).

By: Ben Boult

Ben Boult — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:02:19 +0000

It really does make your heart sink…

By: Jailed for wearing a T-shirt? Our justice system is broken – Telegraph Blogs

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:43:15 +0000

[...] This is getting ridiculous. Following the man jailed for tweeting something disgusting about Fabrice Muamba, then the boy jailed for putting something disgusting on Facebook about April Jones (and the man almost jailed for joking about blowing up Robin Hood Airport), now a man has been jailed for wearing a T-shirt with a disgusting joke about killing policemen. [...]