Monday 18 July 2011

Oh, If Only We Had Facebook Juries, Eh?

The mother and sister of jailed student protester Frank Fernie have spoken of their shock and devastation at his year-long sentence.
Hey, if he can’t do the time, he shouldn’t have done the crime…
Diane’s comments came as nearly 1,000 friends and supporters joined a campaign on social networking site Facebook called “Free York Student Frank Fernie”.

She said the family were now planning an appeal against his sentence for throwing two poles at police during the protest march.

Diane said: “Anyone who knows him will realise that it’s not Frank. Frank is a really genial young man. He hasn’t got a grain of malice in him and we are very grateful for all the offers of help and support.”

Victoria said: “I can genuinely say he has never been involved in anything like this before. It is completely new territory. All the people on the Facebook page, they are amazing support and help.”
Umm, yes. That’s not too surprising, since the only effort it takes to show ‘support’ is the effort it takes to bang out a few hasty (badly spelled) lines of text on a keyboard.
I wouldn’t take it as indicative of anything deeper, though…
She said: “As family, you always think they don’t deserve it when someone is punished, but all the Facebook supporters agree with us.”
Oh, well, that’s OK. We’ll just scrap the jury system then?
at

19 comments:

  1. Shinar's Basket Case18 July 2011 at 12:58

    " against his sentence for throwing two poles at police "

    ...and who have since returned to Warsaw? Strong lad Fernie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yorkie bar18 July 2011 at 13:01

    As Fecesbook has no great depth, I think it best not to put too much store by online comments there.

    And as far as support goes, much less than a couple of poles would provide.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gallovidian18 July 2011 at 17:07

    He would probably be wise to get a haircut.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Captain Haddock18 July 2011 at 17:15

    Prats ...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Michael Fowke18 July 2011 at 18:25

    "I can genuinely say he has never been involved in anything like this before. It is completely new territory."

    What a bizarre thing to say! If he had committed murder, would it be okay if it were new territory?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous18 July 2011 at 20:09

    A year, a fucking year for throwing a couple of poles at Britains finest.
    he'd get less for rape.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ancient+Tattered Airman18 July 2011 at 20:32

    Oh, well, that’s OK. We’ll just scrap the jury system then?

    Wow! Think of all the savings there will be. Fewer prisoners require fewer gaols, too. I bet the Treasury will approve.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Zaphod18 July 2011 at 20:34

    I shall invest the effort it takes to bang out a few hasty (badly spelled) lines of text on a keyboard, to say that I support everything in this blog, whatever.
    (Will this do?)

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. blueknight18 July 2011 at 20:36

    ...the only effort it takes to show ‘support’ is the effort it takes to bang out a few hasty (badly spelled) lines of text on a keyboard.

    Or tick the 'like' icon

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  10. Zaphod18 July 2011 at 20:37

    SBC, they were from Gdansk. I met them on a plane.
    They'd been working in scaffolding, apparently. Another misunderstanding.

    ReplyDelete
  11. James Higham18 July 2011 at 20:54

    It's entirely new territory for me to lose my rag but that's OK because it is creative energy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous18 July 2011 at 22:02

    On the bright side, I imagine he has very recently lost his virginity...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mike19 July 2011 at 04:55

    I wonder if someone will come up with a game where instead of shooting aliens or soldiers or game or any of the other usual stuff you get to go around shooting grumpy students and chavs

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  14. Mike19 July 2011 at 04:59

    I'd join the police but I don't think they'd have me, lol

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  15. Angry Exile19 July 2011 at 05:05

    Could be worse, could be WoW juries: have you reached a verdict on which you are all agreed? Yes, your honour. We, the jury, find that the defendant is a n00b.

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  16. Mike19 July 2011 at 05:23

    is a n00b a bit like a bOOb but perky?

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  17. Mike19 July 2011 at 05:30

    on a serious note between the Met and the NotW who needed a judge and jury system. it makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD watching the latest Met victims discussing that they should not be tried and convicted on innuendo and rumour, what goes around come around eh!

    ReplyDelete
  18. JuliaM19 July 2011 at 05:35

    "What a bizarre thing to say! If he had committed murder, would it be okay if it were new territory?"

    I suspect it would very much depend on who he murdered...

    "Or tick the 'like' icon"

    Good point!

    "Could be worse, could be WoW juries..."

    At least that'd be trial by combat!

    "...it makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD watching the latest Met victims discussing that they should not be tried and convicted on innuendo and rumour, what goes around come around eh!"

    Yes, this NI stuff is the gift that keeps on giving, all right.

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  19. David Gillies19 July 2011 at 05:52

    from the article, quoting his Dear Old Mum: "…but she was proud he was prepared to stand up peacefully for what he believed in."

    But he wasn't prepared to stand up peacefully, was he? He chucked two potentially deadly missiles at the cops, which is why he got banged up. It doesn't matter what spurious justification scrounging scum feel, throwing scaffolding poles at the fuzz is going to get you a stint in choky.

    And "English,politics and biology" A-levels? What sort of a course combination is that? Sounds like a complete waster to me. If I were and admissions tutor I wouldn't touch such an obvious dilettante with a ten-foot pole.

    ReplyDelete