17-year-old arrested over Tom Daley Twitter jibes

[Jethraw 345]

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and is helping the police with their inquiries after Olympic diver Tom Daley was sent a malicious message over Twitter.

 

 

Tom, 18, took part in the men’s synchronised 10m platform diving event yesterday – missing out on a medal after coming in fourth place with diving partner Pete Waterfield.

 

After putting in his best effort, Tom was sent a spiteful message from a user called Rileyy69, which said,

“You let your dad down i hope you know that.”

 

Tom’s father Rob tragically passed away last year from cancer. Tom re-tweeted the nasty comment and responded to the tweet by saying,

 

“After giving it my all... you get idiots sending me this...”

 

 

A police spokesperson had now confirmed that a 17-year-old is assisting the police in investigating the Twitter abuse,

 

“A 17-year-old man was arrested by Dorset Police officers in the early hours this morning at a guesthouse in the Weymouth area on suspicion of malicious communications.

 

“He is currently helping police with their inquiries,” the statement in The Mirror concludes.

 

 

 

Back tracking

After the news of Rileyy69’s deeply hurtful and insensitive tweet spread around the web, the Twitter user attempted to apologise for his remarks, writing,

 

“TomDaley1994 I'm sorry mate i just wanted you to win cause its the olympics I'm just annoyed we didn't win I'm sorry tom accept my apology.”

 

Poor Tom. Some people really are stupid.

 

http://www.heatworld.com/Celeb-News/2012/07/17-year-old-arrested-over-Tom-Daley-Twitter-jibes/

 

I saw this unfolding on Twitter yesterday, the guy was bang out of order and just shows how tough people hiding behind their keyboards really are.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Jethraw

[Micael Fatia 532]

Arresting someone over trolling? Isn't that a bit extreme?

Exactly what I was thinking.

Sure the 17 years old guy is a dick but come on.

[Jethraw 345]

There were those, and tweets promising to drown him. Not to mention he attacked the most publicised olympic athlete in the UK, there'd have been uproar if the police hadn't gotten involved.

[Jethraw 345]

Now threats of violence is one thing: I can see the police getting involved with that. But saying you let down your dead dad? As Micael said, that's just being a dick.

I think it's a case of the tweets about his dad striking home hardest, given the fact that Tom grew up very much in the public light and his father's battle with cancer was very much a public affair too, which is why it's been focused on more than what everyone knows are empty threats, but the underlying reason is likely to be the physical threats.

[Arianna 746]

Not to mention he attacked the most publicised olympic athlete in the UK, there'd have been uproar if the police hadn't gotten involved.

Mother of god, Justin Bieber ought to sue until he fills up a prison the size of Canada.

[Jethraw 345]

Not to mention he attacked the most publicised olympic athlete in the UK, there'd have been uproar if the police hadn't gotten involved.

Mother of god, Justin Bieber ought to sue until he fills up a prison the size of Canada.

Yes, yes, yes. But this guy is an olympian without trillions of pounds to spend on his own private security force, and an olympian who is yet to compete in what are sure to be a number of well publicised events. The world is watching Britain at the minute.

 

It's also the first time there've been these kinds of problems for Mr. Daley, they're hardly an oddity in the Bieber camp, who no doubt already take steps against such attacks, probably through his oodles of bodyguards and entourage.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Jethraw

[Hunter 152]

Unless he threatened Tom, they really should have arrested him. It's silly. I'm not saying what Tom did was in any way acceptable, but I just don't see how he should be arrested for it.

[Prinz 102]

Unless he threatened Tom, they really should have arrested him. It's silly. I'm not saying what Tom did was in any way acceptable, but I just don't see how he should be arrested for it.

tom is the athlete...

 

i think this is a bit of an overreaction, but I could be wrong...

[Jethraw 345]

Unless he threatened Tom, they really should have arrested him. It's silly. I'm not saying what Tom did was in any way acceptable, but I just don't see how he should be arrested for it.

tom is the athlete...

 

i think this is a bit of an overreaction, but I could be wrong...

TBH this reminds me of a military dictatorship where if you insult something relevant to their patriotism they make you disappear. At least it hasn't progressed quite to that point yet.

Yes, that's definitely Britain's main problem, a case of over-zealous patriotism.

[Hunter 152]

Unless he threatened Tom, they really should have arrested him. It's silly. I'm not saying what Tom did was in any way acceptable, but I just don't see how he should be arrested for it.

tom is the athlete...

 

Sorry, mixed up my wording there :L I knew what I meant!

[Conspicuous 196]

no this is stupid, he shouldn't be arrested. What he said was stupid, but getting the police involved? People on twitter have said worse.

[Ghostfoot 15]

Can't even troll on the internet without being arrested. Nice internet freedom, and everyone will just let it pass by while our freedoms are being removed day by day. Blind.

[Doddsy 20]

I think this a stupid move. The threats of violence, as others have pointed out, are not covered by any sort of free speech protection. There are threats, and while mostly hollow, they have to be treated with scrutiny.

 

Making a stupid, cold joke at the expense of someone famous was not any of these. Comedians have said worse things, about real people and have been protected by their right to say it, and their right to offend people.

 

You done screwed up Britain

[_Zj 43]

I agree with pretty much every post in this thread.... they're in the wrong. Sure what he said was uncalled for, but it wasn't promoting violence.

[Jethraw 345]

I'll put some of the tweets that were sent out both to Tom and various other people in defence of Daley, by the person in question. They're in a spoiler due to the excessive swearing.

 

 

come on then you coochie i'll stick a knife down your fudgein throat now comeback and stop hiding from me

do you want me to come to your fudgeing house now with a rope and strangle you with it

i dont give a shizzle bruv i'm gonna drown him and i'm gonna shoot you he failed why you suporting him you coochie

shut your dirty little mouth you coochie i'm going to kill you when your back trust me

I'd eat you alive you bent coochie don't mention me again okay i don't like you

Edited August 1, 2012 by Jethraw

[Conspicuous 196]

ok nvm i dont know what to say now

[Fake 113]

Time for all these keyboard warriors to pay!

[venom 164]

hmmm. i guess i should probably stop propositioning the US gymnastics team via twitter then.

[reap- 2]

the homie justin bieber gets worse than this on a daily basis and he dont let it affect him

[Jethraw 345]

Unless he threatened Tom, they really should have arrested him. It's silly. I'm not saying what Tom did was in any way acceptable, but I just don't see how he should be arrested for it.

tom is the athlete...

 

i think this is a bit of an overreaction, but I could be wrong...

TBH this reminds me of a military dictatorship where if you insult something relevant to their patriotism they make you disappear. At least it hasn't progressed quite to that point yet.

Yes, that's definitely Britain's main problem, a case of over-zealous patriotism.

Insult national celebrity?

Get thrown in jail!

If you hadn't said yourself threats of violence were enough for police involvement it would almost be worth taking you seriously.

[Arianna 746]

hmmm. i guess i should probably stop propositioning the US gymnastics team via twitter then.

 

Anyway, given the tweets posted, it's obvious that action had to be taken. However, given the spin that the media gave to the story, I can fully justify those who said "o no being a dick is now unlawful"

[Lord Lookov 2]

Some people are idiots, but face-palm again for the dated UK internet laws. They finally wised up on this incident and now they go overboard once again.

[thepope1322 399]

Arresting someone over trolling? Isn't that a bit extreme?

There is no such thing as freedom of speech in the UK.

Edited August 4, 2012 by theking1322

[_Zj 43]

What is a coochie? I know what the American version is but it seems out of context in this setting...... lol