"Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:27 am  

In a rare outbreak of common sense, the chap who was delayed at Robin Hood Airport and tweeted "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your sh?t together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!" ... has won his second appeal, to the High Court, and is now officially innocent. I know that bombs and security are no laughing matter, but I do not believe that there ever was a person in this country, even whoever complained, or anyone who prosecuted it, that did not instantly know 100% that this was meant as a joke, regardless of his or their taste in jokes. What a waste of scarce public money.

In a rare outbreak of common sense, the chap who was delayed at Robin Hood Airport and tweeted "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your sh?t together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!" ... has won his second appeal, to the High Court, and is now officially innocent. I know that bombs and security are no laughing matter, but I do not believe that there ever was a person in this country, even whoever complained, or anyone who prosecuted it, that did not instantly know 100% that this was meant as a joke, regardless of his or their taste in jokes. What a waste of scarce public money.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:30 am  

Absolutely bonkers that it reached this stage.

As you said, common sense eventually prevailed.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:14 am  

At last. Was a ridiculous prosecution in the first place. Should never have got this far

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:37 pm  

It is such a shame this had to get to the Court of Appeal before there was an outbreak of common sense. I seem to recall reading that the guy was a trainee accountant at the time of his arrest. Obviously this has had a horrific impact on his life and career.

This should have been turned off by the police or CPS at a very early stage.

I really do hope the lawyer(s) who made the decision to prosecute get some Special High Intensity Training over this.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:23 pm  

The worrying thing is this seems to me to be part of a long-running trend. It's a relief that Judge LJ and the others agree, but it's not just the police, or the proscutors. The chap was convicted by the magistrates; then, he appealed to a Crown Court judge, and that judge also dismissed his appeal, saying the tweet was clearly menacing. My feeling is that, far from a one-off, we are all at increasing risk of similar absurdity and overreaction.

Mr. Chambers may now have been cleared, but he's had the case going on for 2 1/2 years, and says it has made him "unemployable".

We have endless inquiries, but I would support one into this case, if only to sack a few of the buffoons who allowed such a ridiculous prosecution to go ahead.

However, in the country where some council or other has just trumpeted with pride the first conviction for selling items infringing the Olympic brand (he'd bought a shop and the items were part of the stock) on the grounds he "hadn't done enough" to check whether the items were authorised or licenced, you would be forgiven for being pessimistic.

It gets worse. Under the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act advertisers can't use any two of the following terms together: 'Games', 'Two thousand and twelve', '2012' and 'Twenty twelve'. Or any one of those terms together with any of: 'Gold', 'Silver', 'Bronze', 'London', 'Medals', 'Sponsors', 'Summer'. Infringe, and you could get a £20,000 fine.

So you fall foul if your ad contains, for example, "Summer 2012". Or, of the thousands of 2012 events being held in London, while they will all truthfully be "XXX, London 2012" they can say so only at their peril.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:53 pm  

Ooooo, you'll be upsetting Big G.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:50 pm  

What should upset BG is the "government" being so in thrall and in hock to the multinationals that they are even prepared to pis$ valuable parliamentary time down the pot to pass what amounts to private criminal legislation for the commercial benefit of one organisation (LOCOG) which in turn is of course to preserve the commercial interests of the multinationlas.

Leaving aside the fact that these corporations are more than big enough to look after themselves in the civil courts, there is no argument you could put forward to explain satisfactorily why even vaguely alluding to an event in London could get your collar felt, even if you don't mention anything by name, is worthy of a criminal conviction and penalty all of its own.

Also having as a taxpayer and lottery player put a whole bunch of my own money into the Olympics which my country is hosting, if I was a baker I'd feel perfectly entitled to bake some Olympic rings to put in the window display. That I would get some officious bozo visiting me and telling me sternly to desist is what is shameful.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:13 pm  

I'd better not make any jokes anywhere just in case I end up in court.

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:02 pm  

I'm going to blow up RLFANS #howdoiblowuptheinternet

Re: "Tweeting Terrorist" wins appeal against conviction : Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:15 am  

Whilst it may have been pretty obvious that he was joking, there are certain things in this day and age that you don't joke about and security at airports, train stations and the like is one of them.

If he'd said he had a gun/bomb in his bag then would you have expected the police/airport security to laugh it off or to arrest him with force and search him ASAP?