An employee of industry giant
Admiral Insurance has been penalised by a court for his offensive tweet about Welsh politician Leanne Wood.
Ross Hookings, a 27-year-old insurance worker from Port Talbot in Wales, admitted tweeting the message “Shame someone did not shoot Leanne Wood though” on June 22, media reports said.
The tweet was posted just two weeks after the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox. Wood saw the message while watching television, according to a report by
The Guardian.
Hookings pleaded guilty to the charge under the Malicious Communications Act. The Swansea Magistrates’ Court gave the insurance worker a 12-month community order and directed him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
According to the
BBC, Hookings posted the offensive tweet in response to Wood’s comments about Port Talbot Steelworks during a television debate.
Hookings was upset at Wood’s remarks since various members of his family worked at the steel production plant, the
South Wales Evening Post reported.
District Judge Neale Thomas called the insurance worker’s actions “reckless” and “offensive.” He also said Hookings had "misused the internet" and sent "cowardly abuse.”
Thomas added that while Hookings did not anticipate the consequences of his actions, he should have known better given his age.
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