Glasgow bin lorry crash: Fury over Twitter troll

[cronus]

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... ash-troll/

Glasgow bin lorry crash: Fury over Twitter troll

Furious Twitter users have reported a troll to the police after he posted a vile comment just an hour after a bin lorry careered into shoppers in Glasgow city centre.

Five females and one male were killed when the out-of-control lorry crashed into them on George Square at about 2.30pm.

Up to 10 more people were also taken to hospital with serious injuries, including the lorry driver.

But while thousands of people were taking to social networking sites to express their shock and sympathies for the victims, one Twitter user posted an offensive message – which has now gone viral due to the anger it created.

https://www.facebook.com/ross.loraine?fref=ts

(continued)

[mistermack]

He'll be sorry.

But if it's a one-off, it's not worth charging him. Some people are too dumb to realise that they are talking to more than just their friends when they go on twitter. He knows now.

[klr]

How stupid can some people be on-line?

Anyway, the excuse of "I didn't know it would go public" is unlikely to cut any ice.

[cronus]

I believe in free speech. Most people are going to die anyway. Some suffer high functioning autism and will say offensive stuff without realising. The importance of free speech, plus the right to be offensive, cannot be underestimated in a functioning free society. Easy to shut it all off because of one or two idiots, then they win.

[mistermack]

How stupid can some people be on-line?

Anyway, the excuse of "I didn't know it would go public" is unlikely to cut any ice.

I think it should. After all, it's probably true. Many people have no idea of the potential spread of a post.

Even myself and others on this site, write things that you would never say to some peoples faces.
Because you can be pretty confident that they'll never encounter it.
This guy mistakenly thought he was doing the same thing. It's not the worst crime in the world.

If he was knowingly and constantly doing it, trying to hurt those who had lost loved ones, it would be a different matter.

He's probably just an idiot.

[Hermit]

How stupid can some people be on-line?

Anyway, the excuse of "I didn't know it would go public" is unlikely to cut any ice.

He shouldn't have to use that excuse. He's been arrested and charged with "making a malicious communication". Since when are sick jokes a criminal offence? This is fucking ridiculous.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-30585301

[klr]

How stupid can some people be on-line?

Anyway, the excuse of "I didn't know it would go public" is unlikely to cut any ice.

I think it should. After all, it's probably true. Many people have no idea of the potential spread of a post.

Even myself and others on this site, write things that you would never say to some peoples faces.
Because you can be pretty confident that they'll never encounter it.
This guy mistakenly thought he was doing the same thing. It's not the worst crime in the world.

If he was knowingly and constantly doing it, trying to hurt those who had lost loved ones, it would be a different matter.

He's probably just an idiot.

I agree that he's an idiot, because he should never have said it, not to anyone, nor in any context. It not even remotely funny, nor does it make some valid point about anything. Even Frankie Boyle would have gotten into boiling hot water had he said it. That's a good litmus test for me: If even the likes of Frankie Boyle can't say something, then it's likely to be completely beyond the pale.

He should get a nice long period of community service IMHO.

[klr]

How stupid can some people be on-line?

Anyway, the excuse of "I didn't know it would go public" is unlikely to cut any ice.

He shouldn't have to use that excuse. He's been arrested and charged with "making a malicious communication". Since when are sick jokes a criminal offence? This is fucking ridiculous.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-30585301

Apparently, since most of the population went on-line. I would say that it's here to stay, although the specific threshold(s) for something criminally offensive are going to differ from place to place and from time to time. The rights and wrongs of this are a different matter of course.

[mistermack]

I have no problem with him getting squished, as a deterrent to others. I doubt if he'll make the same mistake again, but the message needs to go out that there is a price to pay, and twitter etc are public places.

But like I said, being a fool isn't the biggest crime in the world. There are lots of us in the same boat at some time or other.

[pErvinalia]

Nanny state. The guy is obviously a tool, but how on earth can u make that a crime??

[Hermit]

How stupid can some people be on-line?

Anyway, the excuse of "I didn't know it would go public" is unlikely to cut any ice.

He shouldn't have to use that excuse. He's been arrested and charged with "making a malicious communication". Since when are sick jokes a criminal offence? This is fucking ridiculous.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-30585301

Apparently, since most of the population went on-line. I would say that it's here to stay, although the specific threshold(s) for something criminally offensive are going to differ from place to place and from time to time. The rights and wrongs of this are a different matter of course.

Yes, you are right. I still think criminalising sick jokes is profoundly undemocratic.

Here's the text of the tweet: "So a bin lorry has apparently driven in 100 people in Glasgow eh, probably the most trash it's picked up in one day" Insulting? Yes. In bad taste? Yes. Arrestworthy? Not. Might be a different matter if it was an incitement to violence, but that's obviously not the case.

Ross Loraine, from Sunderland, handed himself in to Northumbria Police.

[cronus]

Handed himself in? More like hiding from the lynch mob outside the Police Station.

[PsychoSerenity]

I don't think it's the fact that it's a sick joke that is criminalised, but the intended harm. Harassment via prank phone-calls or letters in the post, is still harassment. The problem is, when you post something that could be considered abusive on the internet, anyone who could be considered a victim of that abuse may receive it. I don't think it's unreasonable to have a law to curb the worst of that.

In this case however I don't think he should charged. He only posted the joke on his own twitter page and didn't use any of the hashtags being used by people sending messages of support and condolences. If he had used a hashtag, or especially if he had sent it @someone who was in any way involved, I think it would be perfectly legitimate to say it was targeted harassment and therefore a malicious communication.

[cronus]

I don't think it's the fact that it's a sick joke that is criminalised, but the intended harm. Harassment via prank phone-calls or letters in the post, is still harassment. The problem is, when you post something that could be considered abusive on the internet, anyone who could be considered a victim of that abuse may receive it. I don't think it's unreasonable to have a law to curb the worst of that.

In this case however I don't think he should charged. He only posted the joke on his own twitter page and didn't use any of the hashtags being used by people sending messages of support and condolences. If he had used a hashtag, or especially if he had sent it @someone who was in any way involved, I think it would be perfectly legitimate to say it was targeted harassment and therefore a malicious communication.

I'm sure the relatives have other concerns than feel harassed by a inconsiderate buffoon on the Interweb in the circumstances. Mountains and molehills, hyper-sensitive British public who never have to confront the reality of a drone attack done in their name when it takes out a innocent family by mistake. Life is harsh, cuts no corners. Get used to it. Not gonna change.

[tattuchu]

"So a bin lorry has apparently driven in 100 people in Glasgow eh, probably the most trash it's picked up in one day"

That's pretty funny, actually Extraordinarily insensitive, yes. But still funny.