A man has been found guilty of posting a “grossly offensive” tweet about the death of fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Joseph Kelly, from Castlemilk, Glasgow, had denied the disrespectful nature of the message on 3 February last year.
But Kelly, 36, was found guilty by Sheriff Adrian Cottam and released on bail ahead of sentencing in March.
Captain Sir Tom raised more than £32m for the NHS after he walked 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.
The veteran captured the hearts of the nation and was knighted by the Queen in recognition of his efforts.
heriff Cottam told Lanark Sheriff Court that Kelly’s “gratuitous insult” about Sir Tom was made “with only offence in mind”.
He added: “This is a man who had become known as a national hero, who stood for the resilience of the people of a country struggling with a pandemic and the services trying to protect them.
“His statute and the view of society towards him must be looked at in that light and therefore any comment likewise.
“What the accused chose to write, when and how it was said, can only be regarded as grossly offensive.”
At one point in the trial the sheriff threatened to put Kelly in the cells if he did not stop shaking his head as prosecutor Liam Haggert spoke about Sir Tom.
The charge, under the Communications Act, alleged Kelly made a post to the public using social media that was “grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, and that did utter offensive remarks about Captain Sir Tom Moore, now deceased”.
As vile as the tweet was, you shouldn’t be able to be arrested for something you write.
Of course its a middle aged ned from glasgow
OP, you are informing entire Europe about a tweet done by a person in UK?
…. why ?
The tweet in question about a 100 year old deceased grandfather:
> “The only good Brit soldier is a deed [sic] one, burn auld [sic] fella buuuuurn”
The Scottish nationalist side the SNP don’t want you to see.
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A man has been found guilty of posting a “grossly offensive” tweet about the death of fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Joseph Kelly, from Castlemilk, Glasgow, had denied the disrespectful nature of the message on 3 February last year.
But Kelly, 36, was found guilty by Sheriff Adrian Cottam and released on bail ahead of sentencing in March.
Captain Sir Tom raised more than £32m for the NHS after he walked 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.
The veteran captured the hearts of the nation and was knighted by the Queen in recognition of his efforts.
heriff Cottam told Lanark Sheriff Court that Kelly’s “gratuitous insult” about Sir Tom was made “with only offence in mind”.
He added: “This is a man who had become known as a national hero, who stood for the resilience of the people of a country struggling with a pandemic and the services trying to protect them.
“His statute and the view of society towards him must be looked at in that light and therefore any comment likewise.
“What the accused chose to write, when and how it was said, can only be regarded as grossly offensive.”
At one point in the trial the sheriff threatened to put Kelly in the cells if he did not stop shaking his head as prosecutor Liam Haggert spoke about Sir Tom.
The charge, under the Communications Act, alleged Kelly made a post to the public using social media that was “grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, and that did utter offensive remarks about Captain Sir Tom Moore, now deceased”.
As vile as the tweet was, you shouldn’t be able to be arrested for something you write.
Of course its a middle aged ned from glasgow
OP, you are informing entire Europe about a tweet done by a person in UK?
…. why ?
The tweet in question about a 100 year old deceased grandfather:
> “The only good Brit soldier is a deed [sic] one, burn auld [sic] fella buuuuurn”
The Scottish nationalist side the SNP don’t want you to see.