Two Britons jailed for inciting unrest via Facebook

Two men were sentenced to four years in jail for using social networking site Facebook to incite violence in the United Kingdom (UK). UK-based The Guardian reported that the sentences on Jordan Blackshaw, 22, and Perty Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, stood even though their online posts failed to trigger an actual riot. "The sentences passed down today recognise how technology can be abused to incite criminal activity, and send a strong message to potential troublemakers about the extent to which ordinary people value safety and order in their lives and their communities. Anyone who seeks to undermine that will face the full force of the law," Assistant Chief Constable Phil Thompson said. Blackshaw, of Marston near Northwich; and Sutcliffe-Keenan, of Warrington, were arrested last week following violent disorder in London and other cities across the UK. The two appeared at Chester crown court on Tuesday, the Guardian report said. The recorder of Chester, Elgin Edwards, praised the swift actions of Cheshire police and said he hoped the sentences would act as a deterrent to others. "If we cast our minds back just a few days to last week and recall the way in which technology was used to spread incitement and bring people together to commit acts of criminality, it is easy to understand the four year sentences that were handed down in court today," Thompson added. He said that in Cheshire, "we quickly recognised the impact of the situation on our communities and the way in which social media was being used to promote and incite behaviour that would strike fear in to the hearts of our communities." — TJD, GMA News