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A MAN WHO jokingly tweeted that he was going to blow up Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire has won an appeal against his conviction.
Paul Chambers was frustrated when snow forced the airport to closed in January 2010 and tweeted to his 600 followers (he now has over 8,000):
Crap! 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!!!
He had been planning to travel to Belfast to see his girlfriend the following week.
Chambers was found guilty in May 2010 of sending a “menacing electronic message” and was fined £385 and ordered to pay £600 costs. His initial appeal was dismissed on the grounds that the airport staff had found the message threatening enough to report it.
However lawyers for Chambers argued that the tweet was offensive at worst, but certainly was not made with criminal intent. Later appeals went to the High Court, which unusually failed to reach a decision in February and ordered a new hearing.
In May of this year Chambers was granted a new appeal hearing and today won that appeal and was acquitted.
Several high profile names backed Chambers’ campaign, including comedian Al Murray, comedian and writer Stephen Fry and Father Ted creator Graham Linehan.
Al Murray was in court today and tweeted a picture of a relieved Chambers with his fiancé:
Murray also tweeted that the judgement found that Twitter does not fall under the Communications Act, and that it was “difficult to see how [the tweet] can be described as a message of menacing character”.
Fry meanwhile took a break from his Twitter holiday’ to welcome the judgement:
Earlier today Chambers tweeted his thanks in advance to his supporters:
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My advice. Don’t bother looking till you have mortgage approval. It could take 2 years. The market changes so frequently you’ll only be disappointed. Secondly understand the different estate agents. Sherry Fitz over price their clients houses to get a bigger fee. The guide price you see is exactly that. Offer €100k below. Sure who knows. Also keep and eye on listings. If they’ve been up for a while, they are obviously struggling to sell. That’s to your advantage.
@Danny Sherrard: offer 100k below in a sellers market? Good luck with that.
@Danny Sherrard:
This is why it should be a set fee so the prices aren’t just ballooned so much.
@Danny Sherrard: what house is going for €100k under asking in this market? Can you provide one example?
@Elaine Phelan: or be dope and offer the asking price. People like you are the reason house prices are crazy. Start low is all I say. I got my house in 2020, €40k below asking price.
When you view a home online have a careful look at the garden and try and see what flowers are blooming, whether it’s spring summer or autumn etc This can give you some indication as to how long it’s been on the market or whether it’s been relisted. It can either be a red flag indicating problems with the neighbourhood, or simply too high an asking price, in which case you might get away with offering less than anticipated.
@Liz O’Neill: On the likes of Daft there is usually a listed date.
1. Location. Close to work/family/what you love.
2. Cost v lifestyle. Make a choice, if you want holidays & fun etc buy a house with a smaller mortgage. If you prioritise a large home over everything else – go as big as you can afford.
3. Time. Which is it? Happy paying back a 35+ yr loan & see it as rent anyway (and if anything happens that’s what insurance is for). OR do you want to pay off your fast.
4. Future. Planning a family? Buy a house with that extra room to allow those teens some time away from you/a play room when they are young.
5. Short-term/life term. Buy big & sell when kids are gone -downsize? Buy small & upgrade? Do what most do – make do? Have a plan.
6. cheap furniture for the short term to fill the house & upgrade/only buy the best of the best bit by bit?
have your say