Tweeter appeals ‘menacing’ message conviction
Trainee accountant Paul Chambers, who was convicted of posting a message on Twitter threatening to blow an airport “sky high”, begins an appeal arguing his tweet would not have been taken seriously.
Paul Chambers had been convicted in May under the Communications Act 2003 for sending a menacing message over a public telecommunications system and ordered to pay a £385 fine, a £15 victims surcharge and £600 costs.
The trainee accountant sent a message saying: “****! Robin Hood Airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s*** together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high.”
Chambers, 26, argued his tweet was posted in a “moment of frustration” after learning that the airport near Doncaster was closed by snow in January. He says his message was intended to be a joke.
Today his barrister argued at Doncaster Crown Court that the message was not “menacing”.
Stephen Ferguson told the court that even the police officer who had investigated the case branded it a “foolish comment posted on Twitter as a joke for only his close friends to see”.
Mr Ferguson argued the prosecution had failed to prove that his client had any intention to threaten anyone or that he thought there was any risk someone would interpret the tweet in this way.
Chambers had sent his message was sent over the social networking site Twitter to his 600 ‘followers’ (people who sign up to receive his messages), although messages can be searched for by anyone with an account.
It was found by an airport worker who had searched for “Robin Hood Airport” on Twitter.
Since the incident earlier this year, he has lost two jobs and his lawyer argued he was under “sheer stress”.
If the appeal is allowed Mr Chambers can leave court without a criminal record.
If he loses he can appeal on points of law to the High Court and then to the Court of Appeal.
Beyond that he can go to the Supreme Court and then the European Court of Human Rights.