"Some may even consider some of them humorous. Everyone is entitled to express views that are all of those things. They are even entitled in a democratic, free society to express views that are offensive, shocking or personally rude when considered against and applying the contemporary standards of an open, just, multi-racial; equal and diverse society. What someone is not entitled to do is to post communications electronically that are applying those standards beyond the pale of what is tolerable in society."
"On 12 occasions between early January and mid-March last year, he engaged in a quite deliberate course of conduct in which he targeted three people, who are in different ways in the public eye, and he subjected them through his posts to a slew of grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intended its contents or nature to be communicated."
Former footballer Joey Barton faces trial on 12 counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety. The alleged posts appeared on social media site X in January and March last year. Barton maintained a sizeable following in excess of two million and his comments were described as cutting, caustic, controversial, forthright and sometimes humorous. Legal argument acknowledged that offensive views may be expressed in a democratic society but asserted that posting communications beyond contemporary tolerable standards can amount to a crime. Barton denies the allegations.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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