UK court sends anti-vax activist to jail for online threats during pandemic
British court sentenced a man who posted violent messages against health officials during covid times. The 55-year old used Telegram to target scientists and government workers with threatening content
A london-court made its decision this monday about an anti-vaccination activist who posted threatening content during covid times. Patrick Ruane got a 5-year prison term for his social-media actions that pushed for violence
The 55-year old mans behavior showed a deep-rooted hate towards medical science: he used the Telegram app to spread his anti-health messages. His targets included various high-ranked people in british healthcare and politics (including Chris Whitty who leads englands medical team)
The judge looked at Ruanes posts and called his actions “compulsive and obsessive“ - the messages clearly showed his strong anti-vax position. One specific post talked about physically attacking the chief medical officer; which became a key point in the terrorism-related charges
The court found that his online activity went way beyond normal free speech limits. His posts on the messaging-app created real risks for public servants who worked hard during the pandemic era
