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27/06/2012
Airport Bomb 'Joke' Man In Court
Stephen Fry has been to court to back a man who tweeted a joke about blowing up an airport.
Mr Fry and fellow comedian Al Murray went to the High Court to support an accountant who was fined £385 and charged court costs of £600 for sending "a menacing electronic communication".
Paul Chambers, 27, is seeking to have his conviction, from Doncaster Magistrates' Court, overturned.
He said he sent the tweet to his 600 followers in a moment of frustration after Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire was closed by snow in January 2010, and never thought anyone would take his ''silly joke'' seriously.
It read: ''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!''
But, in November 2010, Crown Court judge Jacqueline Davies, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed his appeal, saying that airport staff were sufficiently concerned to report his "clearly menacing" message.
Mr Chambers's lawyer, John Cooper QC, is challenging the conviction on a legal technicality.
He says a threat can only be "menacing" with specific intent for a particular person, but Mr Chambers's tweet was sent to 600 people.
He told the hearing: "At worst, the tweet was offensive."
Mr Fry, a prolific Twitter user, said the hearing was "very important" for freedom of speech.
(NE)
Mr Fry and fellow comedian Al Murray went to the High Court to support an accountant who was fined £385 and charged court costs of £600 for sending "a menacing electronic communication".
Paul Chambers, 27, is seeking to have his conviction, from Doncaster Magistrates' Court, overturned.
He said he sent the tweet to his 600 followers in a moment of frustration after Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire was closed by snow in January 2010, and never thought anyone would take his ''silly joke'' seriously.
It read: ''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!''
But, in November 2010, Crown Court judge Jacqueline Davies, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed his appeal, saying that airport staff were sufficiently concerned to report his "clearly menacing" message.
Mr Chambers's lawyer, John Cooper QC, is challenging the conviction on a legal technicality.
He says a threat can only be "menacing" with specific intent for a particular person, but Mr Chambers's tweet was sent to 600 people.
He told the hearing: "At worst, the tweet was offensive."
Mr Fry, a prolific Twitter user, said the hearing was "very important" for freedom of speech.
(NE)
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