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16 Aug 2011
Two
men have been jailed for inciting disorder via
social networking sites.
The pair, who appeared at Chester Crown Court today, were
arrested last week following incidents of violent disorder in
London and other cities across the UK.
Jordan Blackshaw, 20, of Vale Road in
Marston near Northwich, was
sentenced to 4 years behind bars.
Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, of
Richmond Avenue, Warrington, was sentenced to
4 years behind bars.
During the sentencing the Recorder of Chester Elgin Edwards
praised the swift actions of Cheshire Police and
said he hoped the sentences would act as a deterrent to
others.
Assistant Chief Constable Phil Thompson said:
If we cast our minds back just a few days to last week and
recall the way in which technology was used to spread incitement
and bring people together to commit acts of criminality it is
easy to understand the four year sentences that
were handed down in court today.
In Cheshire, we quickly recognised the impact
of the situation on our communities and the way in
which social media was being used to promote and incite behaviour
that would strike fear in to the hearts of our communities.
From the offset Cheshire Constabulary adopted a robust
policing approach using the information coming into the
organisation to move quickly and effectively against any person
whose behaviour was likely to encourage criminality. Officers took
swift action against those people who have been
using Facebook and other social media sites to incite disorder.
The sentences passed down today recognise how technology
can be abused to incite criminal activity and
sends a strong message to potential troublemakers
about the extent to which ordinary people value safety and order in
their lives and their communities. Anyone who seeks to
undermine that will face the full force of the law.
- Assistant Chief Constable Phil Thompson, Cheshire
Constabulary
