The victim of an internet troll who agitated for a conviction for “writing malicious blogs” has found himself before the same judge for sending “malicious tweets” of his own, moments after his abuser was sentenced.
The bizarre demonstration of the UK’s growing climate of online censorship, played out at Wrexham Magistrates Court this Wednesday, came about after the two men from North Wales had been “embroiled in a complex dispute for a number of years”.
According to the Daily Post, Darren Laverty had pushed for the malicious communication conviction of a man called Royden Jones for posting derogatory comments about him on a blog concerning the former Bryn Estyn children’s home in Wrexham, the centre of an abuse inquiry.
However, immediately after the conviction was passed, Mr. Laverty was threatened with arrest for contempt of court during the sentencing.
Mr. Laverty is reported to have tweeted “maliciously” about his “troll” as the trial was underway. After the tweets were brought to the court’s attention, the judge threatened to have Mr. Laverty whisked off to the police station and charged himself.
Mr. Laverty then apologised to the court, the court accepted and urged him to remove the “offensive” posts. Despite this, he tweeted yesterday: “I’m supposed to be in jail tonight. I’m not. #ContemptOfCourt.”
The case concluded with Mr. Jones being given a £120 fine and ordered to pay £480 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. No penalties were brought against Mr. Laverty.
Earlier this week, Breitbart London reported British police promised not to “tolerate” any speech that could cause offence on social media regarding Syrian migrants, after arresting a man for Facebook comments made about recent Syrian arrivals on his small Scottish Island.
The 41-year-old man was arrested on the Isle of Bute, in the Firth of Clyde under the Communications Act. A spokesman for the local police said:
“I hope that the arrest of this individual sends a clear message that Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of activity which could incite hatred and provoke offensive comments on social media”.