Twitter Joke Earns Tweeter Bomb Hoax Conviction
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A Twitter user was prosecuted for joking about blowing up Robin Hood Airport.
There was public outrage on Twitter yesterday as a British man was convicted for tweeting a joke which was deemed to be “menacing” and “offensive” by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Journalist Paul Chambers, who aspired to become an accountant may never realise his dream after receiving a £1,000 ($1,500) fine and a criminal record for a tweet posted in January concerning the closure of Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire.
After the massive snowstorms Mr Chambers tweeted: “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!”
The joke backfired spectacularly when police arrested Mr Chambers with the possibility of a conviction under the Terrorism Act. In court the charge was reduced to sending, “indecent, obscene or menacing” messages over a public communications network which contravened the 2003 Communications Act.
Within minutes of his conviction, a furious Mr Chambers tweeted: “I’d like thank the Crown Prosecution Service for their level best efforts in fucking up the life of an ordinary citizen. I love Britain.”
The incident attracted sympathetic support from high-profile Twitter users. Irish comedian Dara O’Briain commented: “I thought this country prided itself on its sense of humour and its sophistication wrt irony/sarcasm. Not any more.”
TV host Jonathan Ross added: “I once claimed that i could produce such noxious farts I could bring a plane down. Daren’t make such proud boasts now…”
The decision has raised doubts over the freedom of speech online users have when voicing their opinions in the public forums of social networks.
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Mr Chamber’s criminal conviction won’t become spent for five years during which time he’ll have to declare it to his home and contents insurance company. If he checks he’ll find that almost certainly, his insurance cover is no longer valid and none of the mainstream insurers will touch him. It will apply to any household he lives in, whoever holds the insurance policy. For more information go to www.unlock.org.uk.
It will also affect his employment prospects for the rest of his life – the conviction will stay on his record for ever and any position for which the employer is permitted to carry out a CRB standard or enhance check will reveal the conviction.