A man has been jailed for 12 weeks for making grossly offensive comments on his Facebook page?

[Manxbiker]

about missing youngster April Jones.

Matthew Woods, 19, from Chorley, Lancashire, 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.

Chorley Magistrates' Court heard 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 home address in Eaves Lane and the defendant was arrested on Saturday night at a separate address for his own safety.

Martina 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.

Unemployed Woods entered a guilty plea to sending by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive.

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."

The solicitor said Woods explained what had started as a joke had gone wrong.

"His future is uncertain. He does not know whether he can go back to his home address. He fully accepts he was the author of his own misfortune," Mr Edwards added.

He asked for a community service order to be considered but the bench was told that custody could be imposed for anyone who is convicted of using extreme language that causes substantial distress or fear to another.

The bench asked for a pre-sentence report from a probation officer and said it would keep all options open ahead of sentencing, which will take place later.

How can being drunk be an excuse for this i fail to see it myself

[Blue]

dave s needs to be careful, he oversteps the bounds of acceptability with almost every post he makes. I'm glad people are finally wising up to the internet and what is socially unacceptable

[Tigerlily]

Who is the other missing child? He wont be having fun in prison, he'll be beging to be kept in solitary when he gets realeased by the sound of it. Think before you type.

[David Harrison.]

A mob eh. We cant blame Muslims if we are the same. You are ok. CE category is now being monitored by a department set up by Zac. He has already been to the police because I said the Father looked "shifty" He did, about as shifty as Zac. No-one one here would dream of saying anything wrong about her.

[David H]

These Internet 'bedroom dwellers' (18/20 hrs a day) will 'eventually' get the 'message'....we are 'all' responsible for what we post on the internet....no matter what sites we use....or else.!!

Considering the amount of people that have 'already been prosecuted' for 'doing the same sort of thing' as 'this clown'....he should have known better.

Where these 'Internet bedroom dweller nerds' get the idea they 'can still post' what 'they want' without consequences is beyond me. They 'still thinking' they control the Internet and its content and the intervention by government authorities etc is 'against their' democratic rights....had better think again - because the 'precedent' has already been set.

There are 'no excuses' for bad behaviour used on the Internet as deemed by the authorities now adays.

[Helen S]

Serves him right! Nasty, odious, stupid boy! A joke? REALLY ?
I'll bet his family are really delighted with that joke! Being drunk just allows your inhibitions to take over, see the drunk - know the real man/woman.


As for the 'commune of one', having another go on here at David Harrison? Not much different is he? making vile accusations against other people day and night on here. He usually creates a new account in the early hours of the morning and e-mails absolute filth and tripe to me - surprised then to actually get an 'apology' on Sunday morning, sent 3.10am - cut no ice with me. He even acknowledged using my dead brother in some of his abusive posts - why was he apologising? Because he's so very upset over the disappearance of that little girl - what an odious creature to link her name to his troll posts! Other females on current events have received similar content e-mail abuse from him.
He lost a total of 12 accounts last week, he's not in touch with yahoo, doesn't speak to them, they're just idle boasts of his and quite obviously he has great trouble deciding what is real and what is fantasy. All of his e-mails sent to yahoo - got to say, they're much quicker off the mark now that the legislation is coming forward. His current avatar has replaced the gormless looking lad he usually labels up as zak, same account number though.
Lol @ the magdalen laundry! Zak are you finally admitting those old hags did harm young girls?
You are always at pains to deny that and the paedophilic abuse in the Catholic church!

2 more mojo accounts oopsed! - check on the stars from zak and . ! Lol!

[marcus VI]

A sure indication of this person's intelligence !

[Big]

What exactly is your long winded point here?

[dick.thepenman]

Murderers ,burglars and rapists are set free early or not even charged to make room in prison for this idiot.Offensive as his remarks may have been i think it would have been better to leave him to the mob than waste any more taxpayers money on him.

[Gent]

Top of That list eh Zak?
2 suspended a/cs out of 3,,,on the SAME question.
Even you can see the pattern.
Hypocrite Bludger.