April Jones: Matthew Wood arrested
A SECOND arrest has been made in the April Jones murder investigation. Matthew Wood, 20, of Eaves Lane, Chorley, has been arrested. No, not for the child’s apparent murder or kidnap. Wood has been arrested for something he wrote on Facebook.
The Lancashire Evening Post tells us the news but not the key details. It has been censured. They can see it. We cannot.
Wood will appeal before The Beak on Chorley on Monday morning.
A Lancashire Police spokesman explins:
“An arrest was made at an address in Brinscall on Saturday and we can confirm we have charged Matthew Wood with breaching Section 27 of the Communications Act, namely sending a public electronic communication which is grossly offensive. He has been remanded in custody and will appear before Chorley Magistrates Court on Monday.”
The paper does tell us:
The posting about the abducted five-year-old, which also relates to the missing youngster Madeleine McCann, was made on Mr Wood’s Facebook account on Thursday.
Frankie Boyle has not been arrested. What Wood said must be worse than that tweet.
It’s all pathetic. The Twitter hunters and Facebook guardians say what can and cannot be said. The thought police are working in cahoots with the actual police. The so-called trolls enjoy saying the unsayable. The social media narks reaffirm the message that freedom of expression has its limits. Wood might be a fool who says revolting things. Grown ups would ignore the idiot.
Update: His Facebook account has been deleted.
Posted: 7th, October 2012 | In: News Comments (20) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
October 9th, 2012 at 9:38 am
I think the boundaries of democracy are becoming blurred, and people are becoming confused as to what they should and should not say. Of course people should be mindful of peoples feelings. Michael, to wish the sufferings of April and her poor family on someone else, is in my opinion as bad as what the guy who just got jailed said. Michael, You effectively want the child of someone whose opinion that differs to yours to be murdered in retaliation. This is disgraceful, and effectively why cant I complain about this, obtaining a custodial sentence for you? I find this very offensive.
I am actually in turkey. Lots of websites have been banned by the state, e.g. pornsites, in an attempt to make people behave. perhaps uk should follow in some of the islamic states footsteps? Thereby, preventing idiots getting themselves in trouble, and upsetting the self righteous,
October 9th, 2012 at 6:33 am
MR MAN what gives YOU the right to offend a dead 5 year girl does it give you pleasure you evil git. Shame it wasnt you that was murdered !!! As for Matthew Woods he is a useless ,out of work idiot that thinks its funny to take the piss out of April Woods. All you freedom of speech merchants I hope it happens to one of your family and lets see how you feel.
October 8th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
It scares me that you could actually have your fb account hacked, and someone do nasty stuff. I really think we should close these crappy sites down altogether. In Pakistan its banned. I am sure Michael, and his hang em high brigade would be happy with this?
October 8th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
@ Michael lets stone him to death too? Grow up!
October 8th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
I seen some of his comments and they were relatively mild. I wasn’t even really offended by it. Just your typical internet jerk. I can’t believe someone would be arrested for that in a place like Britain.
October 8th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Why are all these Idiots commenting on free speech ! Woods was not giving his opinion he was being evil and nasty and thinks its a joke that a poor little girl was murdered he got all he deserved I would of given him 5 years and a beating !!
October 8th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
UPDATE:
The idiots are sending the idiot down:
http://www.anorak.co.uk/335981/news/stupid-matthew-wood-sentenced-by-stupid-court-for-stupid-april-jones-joke.html/
October 8th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Sorry but if you behave like a dick, you deserved to be treated like a dick. I am fed up with people thinking it is right to go around acting like a troll on the internet, particularly towards those who are mourning. Harassment should always be punished.
October 8th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
The vast majority of horrible social media comments are made behind a pseudonym.
Everyone should have the right to free speech but rather than arrest the perp, his/her name, address and photograph should be posted with the comment. Free speech remains intact but we know who is saying what. At least Ashley Cole puts his name to his drivel.
October 8th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Could not have put it better, Manual Gear……………….”If you want to say that in private to your friends go ahead and be a dick. If you say it on a public forum then be prepared for the consequences. If you’re too stupid to know the the difference between the two keep off public forums altogether until your 3 brain cells learn the difference or, better still, just keep your fat, ignorant gob shut”
October 8th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Exactly Mr Man. Look how long it took to give the push to the “Hate” preacher.
And millions of dollars in legal fees. Britain will be supporting his family for generations to come. Most of the London rioters were never arrested.
Frankie Boyle and Matthew Wood are the least of our troubles.
October 8th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
@Manual Gear:
Oh the irony in posting an offensive message in criticism of offensive messages…
October 8th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
the freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend.
.
All should be permissible, the line is drawn when you incite people to violence.
October 8th, 2012 at 11:44 am
We have to have freedom of speech even if it means some idiot like matthew wood makes offensive comments. If somebody or group calls for the murder of others then the authorities will need to deal with them without denying everybody else, including idiots, their right to have their say. If freedom of speech becomes muzzled then eventualy we will all be electronicaly tagged & monitored in case we dare say boo to a goose !
October 8th, 2012 at 10:41 am
If you want to say that in private to your friends go ahead and be a dick. If you say it on a public forum then be prepared for the consequences. If you’re too stupid to know the the difference between the two keep off public forums altogether until your 3 brain cells learn the difference or, better still, just keep your fat, ignorant gob shut.
October 8th, 2012 at 10:24 am
This lad has made a tasteless joke / comment – most people reading it would probably think him an immature idiot and leave it at that – but he should never have been arrested. This thought police nonsense is getting beyond a joke and I am sure that law enforcement has more serious things to be dealing with than this. Absolutely ludicrous.
October 8th, 2012 at 9:47 am
If I was a police officer, I’d be really annoyed at having to deal with this rubbish. Leaping into action every time someone called plod because they didn’t like something they read online. I hope Starmer gets on and sorts this nonsense out quickly – it is getting ridiculous.
October 8th, 2012 at 9:37 am
You can say what you like, and most people are too cowardly to do this. Just dont write it down! I think freedom in the UK is a lot less than people think. We also have to remember that 20 year old ‘men’ are usually overgrown children.
October 8th, 2012 at 7:28 am
FFS – We live in a Country where young women dye their hair jet black, and also dye their faces brown before walking round town wearing their pyjama’s and subsided UGG boots …. now THATS offensive. However unsavoury a persons comments are within an online platform, it most certainly is not a police matter. We need freedom of speech so that we can identify morons appropriately – but to put them through court for their childishness is absolutely ridiculous.
October 7th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
I agree with you Anorak. Matthew Wood’s bad taste joke should have been criticized or dismissed, he’d probably would have lost his Facebook account, but from there to arrest him and charge him is a step too far. Unfortunately people who repress others do so thinking they’re in the right, and that they have the right to, sad really, it makes you wonder where that leaves freedom of expression. Jean from Stechford.