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Fabrice Muamba Twitter Abuse: Liam Stacey, Jailed For Tweet, Could Be Released Friday

PA/Huffington Post UK  |  By   |  Posted: 29/03/2012 15:15 Updated: 29/03/2012 15:20

Liam Stacey

A student jailed for mocking footballer Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after a near fatal heart attack could be released as early as tomorrow.

A handcuffed Liam Stacey, 21, was taken away in tears on Tuesday after being jailed for 56 days for admitting inciting racial hatred.

A High Court judge in Swansea, south Wales, will tomorrow hear an appeal against his sentence which, if successful, could win his immediate release.

The Swansea University biology undergraduate triggered revulsion when he posted: "LOL (laugh out loud). F*** Muamba. He's dead!!!"

His reviled tweet came quickly after the soccer star's collapse and at a time when his plight was attracting a wave of sympathy around the world.

Soccer fans watched in horror when the Bolton midfielder collapsed during an FA Cup tie from a heart attack on 17 March.

Revulsion of his actions was immediate but a series of highly critical replies only pushed Stacey into an online racist torrent.

On Tuesday he was led away sobbing from Swansea Magistrates' Court after breaking down when his sentence was handed down.

Support for Stacey's jail sentence was widespread on the day it was handed down, and widely debated on Twitter.

But a significant minority criticised his punishment and claimed it was politically motivated to make an example of him.

His legal team will tomorrow launch an appeal against his sentence at Swansea Crown Court.

The hearing, which is expected to last at least one hour, will go before High Court judge Justice Wyn Williams.

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vividrick
I came, I saw...I had a cup of tea!
493 Fans
02:25 PM on 03/30/2012
It would have set a good precedent, nevermind, give him some community service & hope he learns his lesson!
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annadinahthomas
7 Fans
02:16 PM on 03/30/2012
He's not up for early release as his sentence has been upheld!
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Norman Mitchison
92 Fans
 
12:13 PM on 03/30/2012
Thats shown him!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
cynic123
70 Fans
09:38 AM on 03/30/2012
Good he should never have been sent to gaol in the first place. Our courts seem hell bent on one law for some and another law for the rest
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neil47
5 Fans
09:54 AM on 03/30/2012
I tried to point that out but huff post wont post my comments
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enefe
4 Fans
09:33 AM on 03/30/2012
This is an attack on free speech. Next I'll be arrested for playing music by buju banton or sizzla
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BigOldBilly
48 Fans
12:01 PM on 03/30/2012
there is no free speech if your white, indiginous native of this country, didnt you know ?
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Paul Winnie Cutts
5 Fans
12:10 PM on 03/30/2012
There is free speech and hate speech, his was the latter.
Did you actually see what he did?
No I doubt it, As I have previously said, the punishment does not fit the crime. Community service would have suited better.
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LOURIN47
19 Fans
07:15 AM on 03/30/2012
Community service should have been used in this case
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speelingmistake
2 Fans
12:32 AM on 03/30/2012
I was really surprised he got a custodial sentence at all. His was a nonviolent crime, he was a first offender and he couldn't be said to be dangerous or likely to repeat his crime so the public didnt need protecting from him. It seems like he was being held up as an example and got a harsher sentence as a warning to others which seems wrong to me - no one should be held responsible for potential crimes committed by other people they have never had any contact with. Someone convicted of a crime should be punished for their crime, not anyone elses.
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speelingmistake
2 Fans
11:08 AM on 03/30/2012
I'm not saying he shouldn't have received any punishment - I'm just saying prison wasn't the right one. A community sentence where he had to make redress to the community in some way would have been more appropriate. Perhaps some time spent with an ant-racism charity would have been the perfect way to deal with him.
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waddytog
97 Fans
12:13 AM on 03/30/2012
it would be helpful to print everything here he wrote on twitter as millions of people are not on it and are unable to make an infomed choice as to where or not his remarks were racist.
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GearoidOD
66 Fans
12:01 AM on 03/30/2012
Happily there were some sensible comments about this on question time,
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digitalchatter2
10 Fans
12:23 AM on 03/30/2012
yes, mentioning and hoping he had learnt his lesson...

more important a HUGE warning to ALL.
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GearoidOD
66 Fans
12:40 AM on 03/30/2012
Well the most sensible was the woman who pointed that some child abusers have received non custodial sentences and of course there was Simon Jenkins who pointed out the absurdity of it.
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Electrastar
65 Fans
11:08 PM on 03/29/2012
He addmitted to inciting racial hatred. The accusation of such should never have been put before the court by the police/prosecution as the comment made was "LOL (laugh out loud). F*** Muamba. He's dead!!!" What part of those 5 words is racial?

'Mocking' as the article clearly states, but it would be hard to make a criminal case from just that. So was the charge trumped up because Fabrice Muamba is black? Police trying to up their figures perhaps?
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Scroll Lock
16 Fans
11:50 PM on 03/29/2012
That was only his first comment. He went on to make further remarks that were deemed racist.

As the article states..."Revulsion of his actions was immediate but a series of highly critical replies only pushed Stacey into an online racist torrent."
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GearoidOD
66 Fans
12:02 AM on 03/30/2012
The further comments were made in repsonse to comments and so werent really attempts to incite hatred.
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lippylass5
29 Fans
01:34 AM on 03/30/2012
Was you born unsympathetic or have you learned to be that way over the years? ..this poor man Fabrice Muamba almost lost his life..... would you think it acceptable if someone made such a vile comment about your son, husband or other relative ...??????????? i doubt it . simple answer is..... if you dont want to do the time... keep your nasty opionions to yourself ....show some compassion... regardless of his colour he has a right to life, and not to to endure nasty rants by a silly stupid drunken student i'm sure his parents are so proud of what they have given birth too. i think not
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wincanton man
109 Fans
10:50 PM on 03/29/2012
I personally found the charges and the sentence somewhat inappropriate in view of what was handed down to Emdadur Choudhury last year.
For anyone who cannot remember, Choudhury was the gentleman who burned poppies in London on Armistice day 2010. In addition to the poppy burning, he and his compadres also carried banners espousing hatred towards British soldiers in Afghanistan. Friend Choudhury, who was claiming £800/month benefits at the time, was given a £50 fine. The judge said that he had to weigh the offence against Choudhury's human right to protest.
I would ask that anyone who thinks this young Welsh boy "deserved," his jail sentence to ponder the above.
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GearoidOD
66 Fans
12:04 AM on 03/30/2012
I dont think they will because 'Lynch mobs' seldom allow facts to interfere with the vicarious pleasure they get from thier activities.
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fco1922
193 Fans
09:47 PM on 03/29/2012
If only we too had a Constitution with a provision guaranteeing freedom of speech. Words are words. Punishing people for saying vile things simply indicates that we are not at all confident in our own institutions. 200 years ago you could have gone to prison for insulting the King. That, too, was justified.
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roseandpeony
47 Fans
11:11 PM on 03/29/2012
So you condone people abusing others?
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fco1922
193 Fans
09:43 PM on 03/29/2012
Expelled from his university? Talk about political correctness gone crazy. These same universities have done little to curb extremist sentiment among certain students. So much for our liberal academic establishment. Where is the belief that people can reform and redeem themselves? Our courts are equally outrageous. I know a woman who was violently attacked by her husband and he got community service!
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DaveJohnWard
68 Fans
 
09:20 PM on 03/29/2012
If the purpose of punishment is to pevent re-offending then this seems to have worked. The guys an idiot, and now he has a criminal record. Next!
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Rednex
7 Fans
08:57 PM on 03/29/2012
Sounds like a bit of possible common sense on the way. The lad is a drunken idiot, but his case was a gift for the control-obsessed political correctos with their race acts and thought police.
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