Barry Thew jailed for wearing a T-shirt celebrating Manchester police murders
BARRY Thew has been sentenced to eight months prison for wearing a T-shirt.
Barry Thew, 39, of Radcliffe, Manchester, wore his homemade T-shirt after PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes were murdered in the city.
The legend written across his chest:
“ONE LESS PiG – PerGect JuStice”
And the words on the back:
“KiLL A COP 4 FUN.co.uk Ha,haa?”
Clearly, Barry Thew is a dickhead who has issues selecting capital letters or lower case ones. His words are also framed as a question.
But to police he is not a mentally negligible berk. He is a criminal. He was arrested on September 18 in Radcliffe town centre. It is a crime to display “written or other visible representation with the intention of causing harassment, alarm or distaste”.
Best put those Halloween costume away, kids.
Thew appeared before the Beak at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court. He admitted to the offence of being offensive.
Sentencing him, Judge Peter Lakin said:
“This, on any view, is a shocking case. Your response to the shocking events was to parade around in a T-shirt in the centre of Radcliffe which had on it the most disgusting of slogans. In my judgment, it is utterly depressing that you felt able to stoop so low as to behave in that way. Your mindless behaviour has added to the pain of everyone touched by the deaths of these young officers. You have shown no remorse.”
Inspector Bryn Williams said:
“Thankfully the overwhelming response from the public, who have inundated us with messages of support and condolence, prove that Thew is the exception and not the rule and our communities were right behind us at our darkest hour. To mock or joke about the tragic events of that morning is morally reprehensible and Thew has rightly been convicted and sentenced for his actions.”
Barry Thew’s T-shirt might have well said “I am a soulless prat who glories in murder”. This T-shirt simply makes it easier for the sane to spot a fool. But is he a criminal? The law says he is.
Thew has 29 previous convictions for 77 offences since 1983. At the time of his arrest he was on a suspended sentence.
If it wasn’t for the police there would be no record of Thew’s life, and possibly no purpose nor shape to it. Instead of attacking them, he might thank them.
Posted: 11th, October 2012 | In: Reviews Comments (5) | TrackBack | Permalink
