back to article Boy cuffed after Twitter troll's drown threat to Olympic diver Tom Daley

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of malicious communications after Brit Olympic diver Tom Daley was swamped by abusive tweets. The unnamed 17-year-old suspect was cuffed at a guesthouse in the Weymouth area earlier today, according to the BBC. Dorset police's press office wasn't responding to calls from The Register …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Good

    Assuming this is the person responsible all I can think is 'Well done Dorset Police'!

    1. Pete 2 Silver badge

      Re: Good

      ... and we can be safe in the knowledge that all police forces will act with equal vigour and speed - whether the target is an Olympic Games contestant, or not.

      (and that rumbling sound you just heard was a squadron of pigs getting ready for takeoff)

      1. Code Monkey

        Re: Good

        I share your doubts that less famous folks would get so quick a response from plod but that doesn't mean they're wrong to arrest this clown. He's made a death threat and that's against the law.

        Hopefully this will scare the shite out of the wee scrote, Tom Daley will decline to press charges and that'll be an end to the matter but arrest is the correct response - IMO of course.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Good

          I live in weymouth, and I have to say, the police force aren't all that amazing.

          A corner store over the road from me was robbed, woman who ran it assaulted by three people. Police were called and there within 30 minutes. Funny enough the press got there first.

          My mum had seen some kids hanging around teh store out back where teh woman was attacked, so I basically ordered her to tell the police.

          The police had no clue what road they were on, didn't know there was an alleyway about 10 paces from the place the woman was attacked. Thick as two short planks. I imagine this was more somebody smart giving the details and dorset police just sent in to make the arrest. Probably had to use gps to find the right street.

        2. The Jase

          Re: Good

          "He's made a death threat and that's against the law."

          Someome threatened to blow up and airport on Twitter.

          How credible was that?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Thumb Down

            Re: Good @Colin

            > How do morons like you think we survived the internet circa 1990-2005?

            I would suggest the 'Malicious Communications Act 1988' might have helped? Aside from the death threat the original message to a man who had lost his Father would have been offensive. If you are claiming that since 2005 we live in a police state you should note the date on this act is 1988.

            Also if you remember the 90's the predecessor's of twitter were the Bulletin boards and News all of which had moderators and AUP's.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Re: Good

      I think the pillocks coming on here and welcoming 'thought crime' and a police state with police/state sanctioned sensibilities are even worse than the silly little plank (who at least apologised for his purile behaviour) who tweeted this diver. Does totalitarianism and channelled thought make you feel more secure!??

      If you people weren't so dangerous you would be laughable.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Down

        Re: Good @Colin

        Do you know what that comment is so far fetched apart from the thumbs down icon it isn't even worthy of a response.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Good

        So posting death threats online is OK with you now, and you're calling US dangerous? Or is it all in good fun because he apologized after people turned on him?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          FAIL

          Re: Good

          You are dangerous. You don't know the difference between moronic sites like twitter and real life. You are the type of person who applauds the police investigating six year old kids for homophobic or racist 'hate crimes' in the playground. How do morons like you think we survived the internet circa 1990-2005?

          1. ItsNotMe
            Big Brother

            @Colin Camper

            Colin...be a good boy...come inside and get your medications now please. You're hours past time for them.

            You know how irrational you get when you miss a dose.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              FAIL

              Re: @Colin Camper

              It's not me - Very original and witty. Maybe you should do stand up or appear on Dave TV.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Good

            Re: Colin

            You seem to think that publishing death threats is a new crime. It isn't. It has been illegal to publish death threats since well before the internet arrived. The only difference is that before the internet you would have to print off and distribute the death threats yourself. All the internet does is enable imbeciles to publish their death threats more easily.

            I don't care if a death threat is written in a tweet, cut out pieces of newspaper or puppy dogs entrails, you should be able to go about your everyday life without having to put up with them and whomever sends one should be punished.

            1. LinkOfHyrule
              Coffee/keyboard

              Re: Good

              Upvoted for "puppy dogs entrails"

            2. Anonymous Coward
              FAIL

              Re: Good

              Anon - Maybe you should ask an intellectual what the difference is between 'publishing' something and moronic, purile sites like Twitter. Just because, in your head, you have elevated twitter into something it is not does not mean that I, anyone else or especially the Police should. Now go to bed it's way past your bedtime.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Thought crime?

        Thought crime would be if they arrested you for reading his tweets.

    3. kellerr13

      Re: Good

      Maybe you should look before you speak. He did not actually threaten anybody. He just indicated his father would be disapointed in him for not winning a medal. Now, it's a cruel thing to say, but it is not a threat and the police need their asses kicked.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Looking before you speak

        Perhaps before using a phrase like that you should click the link in the story to see his other tweet, which included not one but two death threats, one by shooting and one by drowning.

      2. Marvin O'Gravel Balloon Face

        @kellerr13

        Sadly, not true. The worst of it did not get reported.

  2. Cosmo
    FAIL

    Arresting is over the top but...

    ...there are a lot of trolls out there (mainly young men it seems) who haven't quite grasped the concept of opening your (virtual) gob in a public place. It's all very well to spew forth bile and excrement when sitting in front of your TV and in front of your mates at your local, but if you go on Twitter and make stupid trollish comments and death threats then you're just a massive prick.

    Saying that, I think arresting the teenager for this offence is too harsh. A name and shame and leave it like that will suffice. Good luck to Tom Daley for the individual diving event.

    1. DuncanL

      Re: Arresting is over the top but...

      "It's all very well to spew forth bile and excrement when sitting in front of your TV and in front of your mates at your local"

      No. No it isn't.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Arresting is over the top but...

        > "It's all very well to spew forth bile and excrement when sitting in front of your TV and in front of your mates at your local"

        > No. No it isn't.

        Seconded.

        Cosmo - glad I am not your mates.

        1. Cosmo

          Re: Arresting is over the top but...

          > Seconded.

          > Cosmo - glad I am not your mates.

          The feeling's mutual if your skin is that thin. I'm not saying that it is "right" to spew forth bile and excrement. But if you're going to do it, do it in the privacy of your own home instead of on Twitter. Have you never had a rant at the telly over something a politician / z-list celebrity has said or done?

          1. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects

            Arresting is not OTT at all.

            > Have you never had a rant at the telly over something a politician / z-list celebrity has said or done?

            Yes but. Everyone has the right to shoot politicians. Society as an whole appears to be against it though. And it is illegal. Even so merely shouting at them is the absolute minimum and it just isn't enough to get their attention.

            As for celebrities. If they are like that whore Dianna, or superannuated unreality TV oiks -just in it for the kudos then they are fair game too.

            But when it comes to those who aspire to be the best then they have the shelter of us lesser mortals. And fully deserve it. If you do the crime, you do the time, unless you shoot, stab or in other ways not specified, maim or kill a politician.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Arresting is over the top but...

            That's the way - do it in the privacy of your own home, and then go on an internet forum to talk about how big, clever and grown-up it is. Idiot.

        2. Richard Ball

          Re: Arresting is over the top but...

          What he meant was:

          "It's all very easy to..."

          (all very well does not mean it's good, it's approved of.)

    2. Rob

      Re: Arresting is over the top but...

      You should read some of his tweets, he threatens a lot of people and is generally a very nasty character or he has some very real mental health issues. Either way it is something the Police should be involved in, although I think they should have been involved a long time ago not just because an Olympic celebrity caught a dose of verbal abuse from him.

      Clearly a kid with no boundaries, his parents must be ever so proud!

      1. The Axe

        Re: Arresting is over the top but...

        You should also take into account the timeline. The worst of Rileyy's tweets were after Tom Daley set his fan club on him. When he felt the force of the fan club Rileyy could have reacted in one of two ways, shut up or shout out. He chose the later.

        1. Rob

          Re: Arresting is over the top but...

          Scroll back further in his timeline it appears he has form for personal attacks.

      2. Thomas 18
        Thumb Down

        Re: Arresting is over the top but...

        The police aren't the same as the mental health services. The police should only be involved if someone is actually violent. I'd say a written warning and a recommendation that he seek some counselling is more than sufficient for a first offender.

        1. DJ Smiley
          Thumb Down

          Re: Arresting is over the top but...

          Threats of physical violence ARE against the law.

          1. Greg 16
            Thumb Down

            Re: Threats of physical violence ARE against the law.

            True, but just like the recent twitter airport case it has to be a realistic threat and common sense is needed.

            It's pretty obvious that this guy was not going to kill Tom and the threat was around the level of a parent telling their child 'I'll kill you"

            Basically this guys been arrested for being a bit mean, which personally I find a bit worrying.

    3. Steve Evans

      Re: Arresting is over the top but...

      Don't worry, they'll be arresting Tom for his apostrophe abuse shortly.

  3. ratfox
    Trollface

    Well done

    This was obviously a credible threat. I hope they investigate his relationship with Al-Qaeda.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "You are not being hanged for stealing a horse ...

    but that horses may not be stolen."

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I am certainly not going to criticise Daley for his unrequired apostrophe in "idiot's" then.

    This Riley chap clearly is an idiot, but aren't 17 year old boys supposed to be? Arrest seems a bit OTT.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      What?

      OTT for threats to kill?

      Joke or not, he made a threat to kill and published it on the internet, he's certainly criminally stupid if he thinks that's the sort of thing you can get away with.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Arrest IS a bit harsh for being a nob...

    However, he should be made to publicly apologise and then warned any further "gob shite threats" will result in further consequences....

    Community service or charity shop work will occupy his clearly dreary days.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Arrest IS a bit harsh for being a nob...

      So how do you make him do community service without arresting him?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Arrest IS a bit harsh for being a nob...

        Well, he HAS been arrested, i merely postulated that being arrested for being a gob shite was a bit OTT.

        Further reading would suggest removing his access to the intertubes would be a more fitting punishment.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bwahahahahaaaa

    17 years old and lists his home site as pornhub.com. LOL.

  8. Jop
    Megaphone

    The Frankie Boyle angle

    "You're telling everyone how shocked you are by a teenager's twitter feed on an iPhone that was made by a slave who wants to commit suicide." - Frankie Boyle tweet

    1. Thomas 4

      Re: The Frankie Boyle angle

      Fixing the problems of the world's socio-economic policies is not something easily achievable. Fixing a troll who clearly bit off more than he could chew is easily achievable.

      We change the things we can.

    2. richardcox13
      FAIL

      Re: The Frankie Boyle angle

      Frankie Boyle demonstrates his ability to jump on an incorrect bandwagon.

      The factory in question has a lower suicide rate than other factories (a lot lower). Listen to (the excellent) More or Less from easier this year where the "high suicide rate" was covered.

      1. richardcox13
        Facepalm

        Re: The Frankie Boyle angle

        "earlier" (not easier).

        1. LinkOfHyrule
          Happy

          Re: The Frankie Boyle angle

          Love how this thread managed to go off on to Foxconn factories and suicide - good old el Reg!

  9. David Lawrence
    Facepalm

    F**kwit

    I see from the BBC report on this story that the idiot attempted some drastic back-pedalling when it was clear that his tweets were far from popular with the wider community. As previous people have observed, most 17-year-olds have not yet developed the requisite amount of common sense to speak in public but I can't help but think what a fool he is and that he deserves some kind of chastisement. I hope no charges are brought, as that would seem a bit OTT..... but it depends very much on the wording of the 'darker threats' mentioned in the article.

  10. fLaMePrOoF
    Stop

    Obviously some are more equal then others in the eyes of the law...

    This kind of thing happens thousands of times every day and the police receive hundreds of complaints relating to similar acts of 'online bullying'... But would they arrest and cuff a teenager if this particular case had only involved 'normal' members of the public? Would they fuck.

    Every sympathy for Tom Daley but he's obviously just a naive 18 year old with a lot to learn about media and PR - re-tweeting something like this in the first place was just plain stupid.

    1. Lutin

      Re: Obviously some are more equal then others in the eyes of the law...

      Not sure I get you. Seems to me that Daley's PR hasn't suffered at all and in re-tweeting it he highlighted what a tool that troll was.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Compare and contrast

    Is what this boy did any worse than @NotSteveDorkland?

    1. MJG

      Re: Compare and contrast

      Yes, he has been threatening a number of people including Tom Daley. Initially I thought that this was well OTT for just saying "You've let your dad down", but having seen a lot of other tweets he's made, then a think a massive scare from being arrested, etc is well needed and about time for this kid. It's not just TD that he's been harassing.

      1. The Axe

        Re: Compare and contrast

        He threatened, but with the same amount of force as Paul Chambers.

        And the teen didn't know about Tom's dad's death. I mean, I didn't know his dad had died either. Not everyone reads the news from cover to cover and remembers it for months afterwards.

        1. MJG

          Re: Compare and contrast

          Yeah riiiight.... Why would you say "You've let your dad down" then? Why not your country/mother/colleagues, etc?!

          Course he knew. As I said before, saying just that does not warrant arrest, it's the further very nasty things he's said to Tom and many other people previously that warrants this kind of treatment. Lovely that it's only come to light after he attacks someone famous, but well at least he'll hopefully stop harassing others out there.

        2. Annihilator

          @The Axe

          "And the teen didn't know about Tom's dad's death. I mean, I didn't know his dad had died either. Not everyone reads the news from cover to cover and remembers it for months afterwards."

          And if he was arrested for that particular tweet, then that would be silly. But to then go on to threaten to drown him and shoot someone else, as well as his historical tweets of threatening to stab Muslims, then I can see them having a word around that.

  12. ukgnome

    On this occasion I support this action, by all means troll someone by calling them shit, but invoking their dead dad is low.

  13. taxman
    Flame

    Treat me like an idiot

    I have a hope that the youth is chastised appropriately - and yes appearing before a magistrate could be appropriate. Saying he is only 17 is no excuse - it's only a year off being of a level of intelligence to be able to decide who should run the country! Blabbing out such crass crud on Twitter is the same as spraying a message on a wall or printing it on the front page of a newspaper. You don't know who is going to see it nor how they may react to it.

    I'm sorry to see IT being used this way. It's really useful for aiding communication, but such stuff like Twitter....... Pah!

    Perhaps it need's some form of transaction monitoring to stop the abuse of others by a minority of idiots Or perhaps people who abuse it should be entered into the Darwin Awards!

    1. The Axe

      Re: Treat me like an idiot

      He was more than chastised by the baying twitter mob who called for his head.

      Which was worse, him calling Tom Daley some names or the thousands of Daley's fan club tweeting his phone number, abusing him, wishing he killed himself?

      The law should not have come into this, just like it shouldn't for Guy Adams or Paul Chambers.

      The guy who blew it out of all proportion was Tom Daley himself. He is the cause of the whole problem. If it wasn't for him, Rileyy_69 would still be an unknown.

      1. Lutin

        Re: Treat me like an idiot

        Having his bile re-tweeted and seen by thousand was a risk that Rileyy_69 ran when he said it in the first place.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Treat me like an idiot

        @The Axe - Wonderful: In your mind the victim is the one in the wrong and the person who threatened to kill him is the truly aggrieved party.

        1. The Axe

          Re: Treat me like an idiot

          Is Tom Daley really the victim? He's got thousands of followers. He's probably got hundreds of tweets a day mentioning him. Some are probably not very nice. He should be used to getting nasty messages. Part of being in the public eye.

          As for Rileyy_69. He's a twat to put it politetly. He wasn't the victim at the start. But he is when he gets hundreds of abusive tweets aimed at him.

          Tom's abused his position to get his followers to pick on Rileyy_69, why else would you retweet an offesive message.

      3. Lord Elpuss Silver badge
        Alert

        Re: Treat me like an idiot

        @The Axe;

        I was with you until you said that Tom Daley was the cause of the whole problem. What a completely twattish thing to say.

        And fuck justice, this is karma. How many times have we been cut up on the motorway, suffered verbal abuse by an overpuffed yob drunk and out of his depth, been a victim of stalking or abusive phone calls, witnessed any number of downright rude, disrespectful, upsetting scenarios and, despite knowing that judicial action is impractical and unlikely, nonetheless wished that the perpetrator receive some kind of comeuppance to shock them into sensibility?

        Petty aggression has the power to ruin lives, precisely because we feel powerless to do anything about it. Hence, it's delicious to see just one of these twats step over the line and be rudely awakened with the realisation that yes, you can be held accountable for your actions. Hopefully others may think twice.

        And that, after all, is the true value of judicial punishment; not to destroy the punishee, but to discourage those who may be tempted to follow.

  14. Big_Ted

    One tweet, possibly 2 or 3 could be considered as heat of the moment reaction like you would have watching someone scoring against your favorite team.

    A string of tweets over a longer period are much more and no matter the age are premeditated.

    This requires some form of chastisement as its up there will bullying via SMS and needs stopping.

  15. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

    To be honest

    A court summons, a visit to the magistrate's court and an injuction banning him from being abusive on the internet would probably be a more proportionate response. If he were to break that injunction (and I'm assuming he doens't already have one), then that would be the time to arrest the idiot - and make no mistake, he is an idiot, both for having the opinions he does, and for expressing thme so publicly.

    1. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects

      To be honest all his days

      > A court summons, a visit to the magistrate's court and an injuction banning him from being abusive on the internet would proba....

      This could happen in Britain without an arrest?

      Here you get charges dismissed, a police caution or a court appearance after an arrest.

      (Unless a fiat issued by the home office allows the cops to ignore 8 centuries of human rights.)

      1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

        @I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects

        Yes, this would happen without an arrest - an injunction such as a restraining order is a civil matter. If he doesn't turn up to court to explain himself, the he doesn't get the chance of defending his actions.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_injunction

        Arresting him is disproportionate, giving him a gagging order is not, IMHO. This has nothing to do with 'ignoring 8 centuries of human rights', it is more a case of this being the sort of thing the civil courts are for, and therefore the appropriate action. The Home Office has bugger all to do with it.

  16. Oliver Mayes

    So will the police be pursuing every person who insults or threatens me on the internet now? No? Of course not, I'm not rich and famous so I just have to deal with it.

    If you go anywhere on the internet and participate in any public forum you get morons who will insult, swear, and threaten you/your mom/your pets. Everyone else just ignores this noise but if you're a celebrity then the police will now chase each and every one down and prosecute them?

  17. Andus McCoatover
    Windows

    Off-topic, but....El. Reg...

    Instead of saying "Dorset police's press office wasn't responding to calls"

    I'd rather see something like "Dorset police couldn't give a fuc*king monkeys to be arsed to answer the phone". Kinda puts the shoe on the other foot, don'cha think?

    I wish all newspapers would do that kind of un-comment...

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cyber bullying?

    Please grow a pair, if you can't deal with frustrated people who don't have anything better to do with their life than to talk smack about you then how are you going to deal with the real world where everyone is backstabbing everyone.

    Police arresting people for talking shit is a dictatorship, EOD.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Cyber bullying?

      They should nail his bollocks to the wall.

      Oh wait, can I get arrested for that?

      They shouldn't nail his bollocks to the wall

    2. ukgnome

      Re: Cyber bullying?

      So says an AC - Whatsup honey? you scared or summink

  19. nsld
    Stop

    I am in two minds on this

    Firstly the Riley character is a twat of the highest order and thats pretty clear from the timeline on twitter, but equally Tom Daley is a media tart who re tweeted it with the clear intention of setting his tweetbase on the idiot.

    Clearly the tweeter needs help of some sort, but equally if your going to foist yourself on the public with documentaries, videos and all sorts of social media telling us all how great you are its likely to attract the wrong kind of attention when you don't deliver.

    And the reality is, if you where a normal member of the public the police would tell you its not a police matter.

    I doubt the Chinese team spend as much time posting pics on facebook and twitter as Tom does.

    1. IT Hack
      Pint

      Re: I am in two minds on this

      - I doubt the Chinese team spend as much time posting pics on facebook and twitter as Tom does. -

      True...what with the main social media sites being Tencent Weibo, Sina Weibo, QZone and RenRen. Facecrook and Twatter being pretty much unused.

      Raising a pint for the future success of Mr Daley in years to come. With luck this Olympics as well when he competes for his individual competition. Also a pint raised to wish Mr Westfield luck as well.

  20. Dave the Cat
    Stop

    1984 here we come....

    First off this lad was a bit of an idiot, I've not seen all the posts so don't know if any are worse/more abusive than the "you've let your dad down" one but on the strength of the tweets I have seen I have to say this is a bit OTT.

    Is it really a criminal offence to say something that upsets someone? Fair enough if you use something about an individuals personal atttributes (black/white, gay/straight, ginger/normal non-spawn of satan, etc. etc.) but from what I saw this kid's ramblings didn't fall into any of the "ist" catagories, unless I missed the new "twatist" definition.

    From what I've seen his tweets were insensitive, hurtful and plain idiotic but Criminal??? Struggling to see that one....George Orwell knows what we're talking about....

    1. Tom 38
      WTF?

      Re: 1984 here we come....

      So, to your mind, if he had teased him for being ginger, that would have warranted an arrest, but merely threatening to drown someone should be fine?

      1. Dave the Cat
        FAIL

        Re: 1984 here we come....

        Tom: So you chose to ignore the entire first paragraph of my post then?

        "First off this lad was a bit of an idiot, I've not seen all the posts so don't know if any are worse/more abusive than the "you've let your dad down" one but on the strength of the tweets I have seen I have to say this is a bit OTT."

        I don't have hours of spare time to peruse the internet looking for the smallest titbit of news. If he did indeed threaten to drown Daley then that is crossing the line from mere twattish behaviour to criminal. I mean if he wanted to drown someone don't bother with the sportsmen, just start with the gingers, the won't mind honest.

        1. Tom 38
          FAIL

          Re: 1984 here we come....

          No, I just chose to focus on you coming on here and spouting a bunch of misinformed nonsense.

          If you had actually read the fucking article, it contains all the information that you "don't have hours of spare time" to find. Plenty enough time to check if someone has responded to some of your inane drivel though, eh?

          1. Dave the Cat
            WTF?

            Re: 1984 here we come....

            Nah I just get an email saying "some dick has replied to you....."

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: 1984 here we come....

          "Tom: So you chose to ignore the entire first paragraph of my post then?"

          I didn’t miss the first paragraph of your post, but I am of the mindset that unless you are in receipt of ALL of the facts then you don’t know enough to make judgement.

          Threatening to kill someone IS a criminal offence in this country and his guilt needs to be decided by the courts !!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Stop

      Re: 1984 here we come....

      ...but some of his later tweets threatened to drown people and shoot people, and those are definitely outside the law.

      1. Dave the Cat
        Go

        Re: 1984 here we come....

        @ Brian,

        Fair enough in that case, I did say in the first place I hadn't seen them all and didn't know if there were any worse than the "you let your dad down" post.

        Threatening to drown someone is obviously crossing the line. Mind you, if the scrawny pic on his twitter profile I'd like to see him try drowning Daley, I'm pretty sure I know who would come out on top. Love him or hate him Daley's an athletic guy. My money's on the lad who spends his time in the pool for a living...

  21. ACx

    The law and police in this regard are moronic in the extreme.

    Basically twat boy says bad things. Boo 'effin hoo.

    FFS, arrest? Really? Have any of these idiots been to a football match, pub, office? Ever driven a car?

  22. Crisp

    Rather than a lengthy court case, jury trial and involving all those lawyers

    Tom Daley should be allowed one free opportunity to punch the kid once in the jaw.

    It's what would have happened if the kid had the courage in the first place to say it to Toms face.

  23. Bunker_Monkey
    Thumb Up

    alternative...

    Get the little **** out in Olympic Park, put him in stocks and then let all of TeamGB throw rotten tomatoes at him.....

    1. nsld
      Coat

      Re: alternative...

      Thats a little harsh for a fourth place.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        Re: alternative...

        I would second that assuming you are talking about the lad the police arrested.

  24. The BigYin

    Umm...

    ...when did the UK outlaw being a dickhead?

    1. ShadowedOne
      Meh

      Re: Umm...

      When did responsibility for your actions become optional?

      1. The BigYin

        Re: Umm...

        Sticks and stones, sticks and stone.

        If we were to exact the full extent of the law for every infraction we would be living in Hell. I can't comment on the threats (probably not credible) as those tweets are not public, but one would have thought public ridicule is more than adequate punishment for the insensitive comment.

        If you want people to be arrested for comments like that, time to put Frankie Boyle et al in chains. Time to re-try Paul Chambers and find him guilty again. Time to...well, you get the idea.

        So what has this kid done? Made a rather repugnant comment and some (unverified) threat. He's a dickhead. We don't have prisons big enough if we were to gaol all the dickheads.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    When will they learn?

    If you threatened someone via phone you'd go to jail so why are the clowns on TWITter, Farcebook and elsewhere so brazen and ignorant?

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Send round the Rozzers

    Maybe they will scare the little creep into being a bit more sensitive.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    He turned me in to a newt.

  28. No, I will not fix your computer
    WTF?

    This is a lesson for us all....

    If you're going to kill someone, please announce it on Twitter first so the police can come and arrest you.

    Anyone found killing people without telling everybody first will be considered very naughty.

  29. toadwarrior

    I'm not sure how I feel about this. Being a moron isn't a crime but if he was making death threats then that is being a bit too much of a dick.

    I can't say I feel it should be criminal. Why not ban his home from the internet and then let his parents take care of the rest when he has to explain why they can't have internet for 6 months or a year.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm puzzled

    >Daley, ..., came fourth in the men's synchronised 10m platform diving Olympic event on Monday

    I understand Daley had a partner in this event So little is mentioned of him I wonder where he finished or if he had anything at all to do with Daley's result.

    1. Tom 38

      Re: I'm puzzled

      His partner screwed the pooch on the 4th dive, ensuring they finished 4th (instead of gold, which is the position they were in before the 4th dive). It's well documented on any sports site, less so on IT sites...

  31. LordHighFixer
    Coat

    The problem with todays yoof....

    Is that they don't know how to make a proper death threat. Something along the lines of "Do you think a corpse of someone your size would fit in the boot of my citron? What if it was in pieces?" would have been a lot more fun and a lot less actionable...

    Mines the one with the get out of jail free card in the pocket...

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I don't think there's anything wrong with Tom Daley's use of Twitter to chat to his fans.

    The Weymouth guy's time line was full abuse (including racist comments) to various Twitter users and celebrities. I doubt the police will do anything, but hopefully it'll shock him out of his obnoxious bullying.

  33. Andrew Jones 2
    Megaphone

    I really don't understand people sometimes -

    It is a criminal offence to issue a death threat - it does not matter HOW you issue a death threat - it is still an offence. If the kid did manage to kill Daley and then you all heard about how he had issued death threats to Tom via Twitter and the police had done nothing about it - the shoe would be on the other foot - you would all be calling the police to be investigated/fined/locked in stocks etc.

    Posting a death threat in the mail / shoving it through someone's letter box / taping it to the car windscreen / texting them it / posting it on a social network - it's all the same action - credible or not - the police have to investigate.

    Had the kid NOT issued death threats - and still been arrested - we would be talking a different kettle of fish.

  34. Marty
    Facepalm

    people need to get a grip on reality.

    This is not arresting someone for thought crime, The person involved, his entire post was to cause upset and distress. I doubt the authorities could have done much until an alleged death threat took place. Deciding if he actually was serious about that threat is not yours, mine or the police forces job. That's a job for the justice system. In all probability, it was not a serious threat, but maybe the whole issue of going through the legal process with the threat of 3 years jail hanging over your head will be a deterrent enough for others thinking of following him in his stupid comments.

    The sort of person that is doing this type of trolling is the type we had back in school in the days before internet, the ones that would poke, push and torment until the victim exploded in a fit of rage and then would claim to be the victim.

    Would this nob have said the same thing to Tom in front of all Toms mates? no,,, he would have been grabbed and dragged around the back of the swimming pool and given damn good kicking.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Trolling time..

    ... oh oh oh oh... Trolling time!

    Reaction from a few words gives the select few a buzz...

    Sadly, normally these people would have been bullied themselves. Though logical thinking would make you come to the conclusion that the reverse would be the case (afraid not!).

    The only way to defeat these idiots is to front them (via the police) and watch them almost poop themselves...

  36. John A Blackley

    The answer is, of course,

    .... to ban anonymity on the internet.

    Oh, wait. The internet would have no reason to exist then.

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    humans are disgusting

    a robot would never do something like this

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I want a new law

    Nothing on twitter is admissible as evidence in any court of law, neither may it be transferred to any other part of the internet, nor may it be copied into the real world. It is an advertising echo-chamber.

    Nothing to do with this discussion, just on my general wish-list.

    I used to think IRC was bad! This lot make lolcats look like high-art.

    A pox on both their houses!

  39. Hand1e
    FAIL

    To all those who are equating the tweets with ranting at the television, are you aware that television is a one-way medium?

    It is very unlikely that people on the television will be able to hear you.

  40. Toxcity

    Ridiculous! I'd like the same kind of support from the Police when my better half tells me to wash up.. But I never get it!

    The comment was low but not worth the Police getting involved. FREEEEE SPEEEECH!

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Death Threat or joke

    I am going to drown you.... V ..... I am going to blow the airport sky high

    Anger, deluded comments, stuiped actions and words, but CREDIBLE THREAT.....

  42. BobHardyoyo
    Coat

    A better solution...

    Would be to get said 17 year old Yoof to do a dive off against Tom Daley from the highest board possible, on TV with everyone watching...

    My guess is he wouldn't dive...

  43. The Jase

    threats

    The way some of you bleat on, its like you've never said "I'll kill you" or have that said to you.

    Try arguing with right wing racists on the internet and soon you'll have a whole collection of death threats.

    And if I went to the police with any of those, they would do fuck all.

    The threat was never credible, just as the one for the airport. It was some little jizzrag puffing his chest, no more. And really he should have been laughed at, not taken seriously.

  44. Jeffrey Jefferson
    Trollface

    "999 emergency services police department, how can I help?"

    "A man has broken into my house, he has a gun and has my wife hostage."

    "Sorry, sir, but we do not have any units available right now."

    "Okay, but someone has just called me a nasty word on Twitter."

    "Why didn't you say? We'll have an officer around within five minutes."

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    maybe they just need to force trolls to wear purple triangles

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