A 26-year-old man has been fined £1,000 after being found guilty of threatening to blow up Robin Hood airport on Twitter.
Paul Chambers held the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first person to be prosecuted in connection with remarks made on the social networking site when he expressed his frustration at heavy snowfall in January this year.
He wrote, with reference to his snow-threatened flight to Ireland, on January 6th: "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!!"
Mr Chambers, an accountant from Balby, Doncaster, was later arrested and charged with sending a message that was grossly offensive or of indecent, obscene or menacing character.
At Doncaster magistrates court on Monday he was convicted and handed a £385 fine, a £15 victims surcharge and ordered to pay £600 in costs.
Responding to the conviction on Twitter, Mr Chambers tweeted: "I'd like to thank the [crown prosecution service] for their level-best efforts in fucking up the life of an ordinary citizen. I love Britain."
He later added: "Currently considering an appeal. Half of me just wants it to be over, the other half is indignant."
Shortly after the conviction, a Twitter hashtag raising awareness of the incident - #twitterjoketrial - was trending highly, with high-profile users such as Dara O'Briain and hip-hop artist Scroobius Pip adding their voices to the campaign.
Source: inthenews.co.uk
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