Fabrice Muamba tweeter Liam Stacey banned from Swansea University campus
The Swansea University student who was jailed after making a series of racist Twitter comments following the collapse of footballer Fabrice Muamba has been permanently banned from campus.
Swansea University say Mr Stacey can sit his final exams and graduate off campus as an external candidate next year, one year late.
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Liam Stacey
He was jailed for 56 days at Swansea Magistrates Court on March 17 after pleading guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence.
A statement issued by Swansea University says: "The disciplinary proceedings involving the student who posted racist comments on Twitter have now been concluded.
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"The university would not normally make public the outcome of any disciplinary proceedings, but in this case we are doing so with the agreement of the student.
“The student concerned remains suspended for the remainder of this academic year and is not allowed to return to campus, but he will be given the opportunity to sit his final exams as an external candidate next year at another venue and, if successful, to graduate in absentia. He will remain excluded from the campus.
"Swansea University deplores racism and has policies in place to ensure equality for staff and students.
"We take the actions of this student very seriously, which is why he is no longer part of our campus community. We are mindful that he has been given a prison sentence, and therefore has already paid a price for his actions.
"He has expressed genuine remorse and we are satisfied that he understands that his behaviour was unacceptable, and damaging to the university.
"Given the sanctions he has already faced and the contrition he has shown, and that he is a final year student, we have taken the exceptional decision to allow him to sit his exams."
Mr Stacey has told a TV programme he is sorry for his actions, which were "just drunken stupidity".
He said he has paid a big price for the remarks he made on Twitter, adding he did not know why he did it.
Mr Stacey said it was a "stupid, massive, massive mistake and I've paid a big price for it".
"What I struggle to get my head around was the week or two before I was just a normal kid getting on with my work in university, getting on with life, playing rugby with all my mates, then a week or two later I was just going to prison, everything had been turned upside down," he said.
Attorney General Dominic Grieve issued a warning to Twitter users after a series of high profile cases hit the headlines.
He is reported as saying: "If somebody goes down to the pub with printed sheets of paper and hands it out, that's no different than if somebody goes and does a tweet.
"The idea that you have immunity because you're an anonymous tweeter is a big mistake.
"If necessary we will take action."
Comments
by williamwaun
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 11:21PM
“If you wouldn't shout it out on the street, don't put it on the computer. Very true let's hope we have all learned from this.”
by dick_e
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 10:21PM
“@gorseboy: "The University authorities have done the right thing,this student wrote an abusive message on a social website for the world and it's dog to read"
whilst I agree that racism of any kind is deplorable, it is sad that comments on other sites such as youtube aren't policed in the same way as twitter....
.... but then do we really want the internet policed at all?”
by UpperBank
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 9:27PM
“There are some rather interesting murmurs being made in other quarters about this incident. Something isn't quite right about this story.”
by homeboy123
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 9:16PM
“Racism is wrong, what makes this sad if this was a tweet about an everyday person. The chances we would be reading this in the new's would be Zero. But as this person was a Football player in the public eye,then the rules change.I agree the system is unfair, As we no people who have tweeted a lot worse, and have had little or no punishment. The message being sent out come's over as if you are a victim in the public eye, then the person will be punished But if you are joe everyday then tough luck.”
by gorseboy
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:53PM
“Hadoken
I am having trouble keeping up with your identity,are you passing on your experiences or merely encouraging him to commit fraud? He is enough trouble as it is without stupid advice like that!”
by twinkles12
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:49PM
“I agree with gorseboy wholeheartedly. This kid will soon be job hunting looking for a position that will pay him over 25k per annum as a starting salary.
Drunken stupidity? Yes, i'd love to live my life blaming alcohol for all my wrong doings, but let's face it, it's an easy excuse to use.”
by Gwyddno
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:49PM
“wyeiph one man
Do you believe that anything that humans do is ok, perfectly natural and legal?
or
Do you have a special counting device where the higher the percentage of wrongdoers, the lesser the offence/illegality becomes?”
by Hadoken007
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:46PM
“What's the point in going to university to finish the course, he was training to be a forensic scientist and its safe to say that's probably out of the window now.
If I were him I would go back home for two years, change his appearence or wait until he ages a bit and then have another crack at life. Possibly in Cardiff or Bristol and work at reducing his welsh accent cos this story was huge and its always going to be brought up.
But I honestly think this is going to be something that defines and haunts him for life.”
by gorseboy
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:33PM
“weslangdon
This chap also played Rugby so we know the type of company he kept at Uni.
WHY EY MUN.
Not sure if your'e a Geordie or a Pembroke longneck.The University authorities have done the right thing,this student wrote an abusive message on a social website for the world and it's dog to read.The fact that it was a footballer is of no consequence,the FACT that he was black is.
Swansea University has a world wide reputation to consider when it wants to attract research funding etc. their decision was and is right.
Watch BBC Week in Week out tonight at 22.35,as the man says "If you can't say it on the street ,DON'T say it on the Internet".”
by wyeiphoneman
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 6:42PM
“The people at Swansea University should be ashamed of themselves, this sort of thing happens day in day out and only down to the exposure, this person has been treated unfairly. Swansea Uni get off your high horse and sort this out, the people think a prison sentence was wrong, the people think your decision is wrong. DO THE RIGHT THING, instead of band wagon jumping.”