Sheikh Salim 215 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Sorry if repost, mods move if necessary.Anti-Celtic comments on Facebook lead to jail sentence for Glasgow manStephen Birrell also receives five-year football match ban for sectarian comments about Celtic supporters on Facebook pagereddit this Press Association guardian.co.uk, Monday 17 October 2011 14.38 BSTArticle historyNeil Lennon, the Celtic manager. Stephen Birrell has been jailed for writing sectarian comments on a Facebook paged titled Neil Lennon Should Be Banned. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PAA man who used a social networking website to post sectarian comments about Catholics and Celtic supporters has been jailed for eight months.Stephen Birrell, 28, from Glasgow, was also handed a five-year football banning order at Glasgow sheriff court for writing the comments on a Facebook page titled Neil Lennon Should Be Banned.He admitted writing the religiously and racially-motivated comments between 28 February and 8 March this year.Sentencing him, Sheriff Bill Totten said the courts had to send "a clear message to deter others who might be tempted to behave in this way".One of the comments, posted a day before a Celtic-Rangers game on 2 March this year, read: "Hope they all die. Simple. Catholic scumbags ha ha." Two days after the match he wrote: "Proud to hate f****n tattie farmers."His lawyer, Iain McLennan, told the sheriff that Birrell had accepted what he had done but struggles to understand the severity of his actions. He said: "He finds it difficult just to comprehend how serious what he did was. But he does accept that what he did was wrong and gratuitously offensive."The sheriff told Birrell that he had escaped a longer sentence because his comments hadn't made specific threats against individuals. But he said he wanted to "send a clear message that the right-thinking people of Glasgow and Scotland will not allow any behaviour of this nature, or allow any place in our society for hate crimes".He said: "The use of modern communications to spread or support abuse or target groups of people because of their ethnic or racial background has no place in our modern society and has no place in genuine support for any football club."The sheriff also reduced Birrell's jail term because he had pleaded guilty, cutting the time from 12 months to eight. Under the football banning order, Birrell cannot attend any football match in the UK for five years. He will also have to inform police and comply with any decisions they make if he wishes to attend a game abroad.Birrell, dressed in a tracksuit with his belongings in a yellow plastic carrier bag, spoke only to confirm his name and address. As he was led to the cells, he turned and waved to his friends and family who had come to see him sentenced.Birrell was arrested and charged in April during a police crackdown on sectarian hatred on the internet.Specialist officers began investigating hate comments after an ill-tempered Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park. The so-called "shame game" brought simmering tensions between the clubs' supporters to a head.The match saw three Rangers players given red cards and ended in confrontation between Rangers' then assistant manager Ally McCoist and the Celtic manager, Neil Lennon. Disruption was also seen off the pitch, with around 30 fans arrested at Celtic Park.An Old Firm summit chaired by Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond, was held in the wake of the game and an eight-point action plan was agreed.Controversial legislation aimed at tackling sectarianism is making its way through Holyrood. If passed, the Scottish government's offensive behaviour at football and threatening communications bill will create two offences which relate to behaviour deemed to "incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred" in and around football grounds and on the internet.The bill would mean those convicted could spend as long as five years in prison and be banned from football grounds. It was intended as emergency legislation but the timetable was delayed because of concerns about its lack of clarity. The need for new laws has also seen disagreement.Speaking after Birrell was jailed, Scotland's solicitor general, Lesley Thomson, said sectarianism was "completely unacceptable in modern Scotland".She said: "The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is absolutely determined to play its part in confronting the problems of sectarianism, religious offences and related disorder and violence. Whether the offences are at the football match itself, travelling to or from it or, as in this case, online threatening communications, we will do all in our power to bring those who perpetrate such crimes to justice. Prosecutors will continue to prosecute anyone indulging in such behaviour which is completely unacceptable in modern Scotland."From the guardian Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kplfishtank 4,746 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 where does it say hes a Rangers fan? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Struth 137 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Silly man!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senna 735 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 where does it say hes a Rangers fan?Be kind of hard to debate his allegiance when he got lifted for the following comment:One of the comments, posted a day before a Celtic-Rangers game on 2 March this year, read: "Hope they all die. Simple. Catholic scumbags ha ha." Two days after the match he wrote: "Proud to hate f****n tattie farmers." Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheikh Salim 215 Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 where does it say hes a Rangers fan?Sorry, just read through it online, actually read it first earlier on my phone and thought it said something about a Rangers fan. Move to general sports or whatever if need be. My hunch is he is a Rangers fan, but I'm certainly no columbo!It really does highlight though how ludricrous the whole thing is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kplfishtank 4,746 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Be kind of hard to debate his allegiance when he got lifted for the following comment:ive a mate who is a hearts fan who thinks like that about celticthis guy could be a Rangers fan but he might just be an anti catholic facebooker Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Right_To_Censor 1,951 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 So I ask how come paton diamond and that other prick never got lifted for "running over prodies wae the popemobile" Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmalade1872 40 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 i had 5 uncles who died in the second world war fighting for freedom now it looks like you cant even have free speech this is the start of big brother Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Be kind of hard to debate his allegiance when he got lifted for the following comment:How do the comments you posted suggest he is a Rangers fan? Much less make it hard to debate in the absence of any other evidence?Personally I would find it easy to debate that from this article we have no evidence that he is a bear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirWalterSmithLegend 206 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 So I ask how come paton diamond and that other prick never got lifted for "running over prodies wae the popemobile"Proof that this law only goes one way? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimfanciesthedude 25,624 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 what a waste of taxpayers money jailing him for 8monthswhy not make him do community service and pay something back to society, jailing him is fucking pointless Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.E.C. 19,594 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I actually giggled when I heard the news reporter say "f****n tattie farmers" this afternoon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 'He finds it difficult just to comprehend how serious what he did was'.Me too.Welcome to Salmond's Scotland, if any of you care a jot for freedom you will vote against him at every opportunity. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Trevelyan 15 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 what happen to this chap did he get asked for input by the SNP on these new offensiveness laws? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 what happen to this chap did he get asked for input by the SNP on these new offensiveness laws?In fact he's their new spelling consultant. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae 15,288 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 To think many men fought and died for freedom of speech in this country .I would also say it is remarkable the crimes that are committed in this country that don't lead to 8 months in prison ... and yet posting comments on the internet apparently does Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmalade1872 40 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 what happen to this chap did he get asked for input by the SNP on these new offensiveness laws?disgusting should be horse whiped Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirWalterSmithLegend 206 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 The power of the Catholic Church. 16% minority. Dont make me laugh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper 182 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Now im not any sort of expert when it comes to law. but to me, these charges seem beatable as long as you just plead not guilty and stick to it. Theres really no proof, apart from the post on the internet, which, to be fair could have been posted by anyone. Anyone in the house that uses the laptop, maybe you left your account logged in while using the internet in a public place.....christ you could even argue someone hacked your computer and accessed it remotely and decided to post obscenities on some website!Thoughts? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae 15,288 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 what happen to this chap did he get asked for input by the SNP on these new offensiveness laws?Ahh what timmy says is political don't you know Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Trevelyan 15 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Now im not any sort of expert when it comes to law. but to me, these charges seem beatable as long as you just plead not guilty and stick to it. Theres really no proof, apart from the post on the internet, which, to be fair could have been posted by anyone. Anyone in the house that uses the laptop, maybe you left your account logged in while using the internet in a public place.....christ you could even argue someone hacked your computer and accessed it remotely and decided to post obscenities on some website!Thoughts?By the look of your sig I hope you like prison food and penisdont you know Neil Lennon is an religious Icon and its only banter when he does it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Now im not any sort of expert when it comes to law. but to me, these charges seem beatable as long as you just plead not guilty and stick to it. Theres really no proof, apart from the post on the internet, which, to be fair could have been posted by anyone. Anyone in the house that uses the laptop, maybe you left your account logged in while using the internet in a public place.....christ you could even argue someone hacked your computer and accessed it remotely and decided to post obscenities on some website!Thoughts?Don't bend over in the shower. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersMedia 35,962 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Now im not any sort of expert when it comes to law. but to me, these charges seem beatable as long as you just plead not guilty and stick to it. Theres really no proof, apart from the post on the internet, which, to be fair could have been posted by anyone. Anyone in the house that uses the laptop, maybe you left your account logged in while using the internet in a public place.....christ you could even argue someone hacked your computer and accessed it remotely and decided to post obscenities on some website!Thoughts?The onus would be on you to prove any of those things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper 182 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 By the look of your sig I hope you like prison food and penisdont you know Neil Lennon is an religious Icon and its only banter when he does it.It was my mate that wrote that sig. I dont know how to change it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senna 735 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 ive a mate who is a hearts fan who thinks like that about celticthis guy could be a Rangers fan but he might just be an anti catholic facebookerHow do the comments you posted suggest he is a Rangers fan? Much less make it hard to debate in the absence of any other evidence?Personally I would find it easy to debate that from this article we have no evidence that he is a bear.Aye okay, I take it back though I won't edit the OP. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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