A former professional footballer has received a suspended prison sentence for a series of malicious social media posts targeting three media personalities earlier this year.
The individual was convicted last month on multiple counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress. The posts, made over a two-month period, constituted what the sentencing judge described as a “targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful” campaign of online abuse.
The court heard that the abuse began following a televised football match, with the defendant making deeply offensive and defamatory comparisons of two female sports pundits to notorious serial killers. When a well-known broadcaster challenged the posts, the defendant responded with a stream of messages containing false and serious criminal insinuations.
In victim impact statements presented to the court, the broadcaster stated the posts made him fear for his physical safety, leading him to alter his daily routines and seek security advice. One of the pundits said the public humiliation and “incessant bullying” had a devastating personal impact.
Sentencing the defendant, the judge acknowledged the boundaries of free speech but stated that posts designed to vilify individuals with false and extreme allegations fall far outside legal protections.
In addition to the six-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, the defendant was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay significant prosecution costs. Two-year restraining orders were also issued, prohibiting any published reference to the victims on social media or broadcast platforms.
The defendant’s legal representative stated his client had shown remorse and now understood the severe harm his words could cause. Speaking outside the court, the former footballer expressed regret, calling the episode a “joke that got out of hand.”