Swaffham man banned from social media over petrol bomb threats
The 44 year old was also sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work
A Swaffham’s man’s been banned from social media after threatening to petrol bomb a house and streaming extreme racist abuse online.
44 year old Colin Racey, of Valiant Close, admitted the charge of sending a message threatening death (under the Online Safety Act 2023) and another of sending a livestream of an indecent or grossly offensive nature (under the Malicious Communications Act 1988).
The incident happened in June and August last year.
As well as being sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation requirement, Racey has also been given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which prevents him from:
-Livestreaming, uploading or commenting on online forums
-Owning or being part of any social media channels
-Encouraging or participating in online content, livestreams or broadcasts on social media.
The CBO lasts for two years.
In a statement a Norfolk Police spokesperson explained why addressing crimes like this is important:
" We often see people commenting on our posts, saying we take more notice of, or prioritise, cases of ‘hurty words’ above what those people consider ‘real crime’.
"Addressing offensive and threatening material online is important, as highlighted in this case where the victim said she has been left ‘constantly on edge in case he goes ahead with the threats he made’.
"Under the acts mentioned above, posts and streams involving genuine threats to harm or kill must be treated as seriously as any other form of violence or intimidation."