Judge tells Facebook thug: ‘LoL, go to jail’!
AFTER avoiding jail first for a brutal assault and then another twice for refusing to carry out his community service, David Newlands couldn’t resist mocking the system online.
But his lucky streak came to an abrupt end when social workers preparing reports spotted his Facebook posts boasting: ‘I’m out bro, easy.’
The 24-year-old quickly found himself back in the dock, where High Court judge Norman Ritchie, QC, locked him up for nine months – before remarking: ‘LoL’.
As he jailed Newlands, of Maryhill, Glasgow, the judge said that the case had ‘enlivened’ his day.
Using the standard internet shorthand for ‘laughing out loud’, he added: ‘As they say, LoL’
Newlands had originally been ordered at the High Court in Glasgow to carry out 150 hours community service after being convicted of punching 27-year-old Ivor Miller in the city centre last year.
But despite being spared a prison sentence, the thug refused to perform the unpaid work – and was twice given another chance by Judge Ritchie.
However, hours after walking free from his second appearance at court for failing to carry out the community service order, Newlands boasted on social media: ‘I’m out bro, easy.’
Newlands also mocked the nation’s justice system, saying: ‘People wonder y this country is f **** d?
‘A got a high court conviction n they never sent me to jail. Instead gave me a community order... told them to stick it up their pipe so got sent back to court n what do they dae?
‘The judge says Mr Newlands I would refer to you as an idiot..n then what does he dae?
‘He geez me it again f**k c.s (community service) n f*** probation am no dayn it simple !!! F*** the polis !!!’
Newlands, who was represented by advocate John McElroy, admitted breaching the order.
Judge Ritchie told him: ‘It’s always interesting to see a different view on sentencing, as in “I’m out bro easy”. As they say, LoL.
‘I gave you two chances. You didn’t take the chances.’
Jailing Newlands, he added: ‘I hope you don’t think I’m doing this out of anger. In truth it enlivened what was otherwise a dull day.’
He ordered Newlands, who is currently serving an eight month sentence for assault and breach of the peace, to be jailed for nine months.
He will serve the latest sentence when his current sentence ends.
Mr McElroy said: ‘When (Newlands) last appeared in my
‘I would refer to you as an idiot’
Lord’s court, you quite correctly told him he was an idiot.
‘He then became not just an idiot, but an idiot who drank and wrote on Facebook.’
The court heard that the Facebook comments were brought to the judge’s attention by social workers who were in the process of preparing a background report on Newlands.
Newlands originally admitted charges after Ivor Miller was wrongly branded a ‘beast’ and chased until he threw himself out of a window.
In December last year, he was one of a number of people who were involved in pursuing Mr Miller along two city centre streets.
The 27-year-old tried to hide from his pursuers in two pubs before he fled into a derelict flat and jumped out a second floor window, suffering severe injuries.
A total of eight people pleaded guilty to various charges relating to the incident in August 4, last year.