A man faced court after sending an abusive, threatening message to DUP MLA Gordon Lyons via Facebook.
Gregory Mullan, aged 57, is from Cloneen. He first said he didn’t send the bad message, but later admitted he did it. This all happened over two years ago.
Lyons got the message on Facebook, seemingly from someone named Greg T Molyneaux. The message included some really nasty threats, mentioning his kids and using swear words.
The police got involved and found Mullan’s phone number linked to the account. He had contacted police with that number before about other things.
Mullan said the phone and account were his, but claimed he didn’t send the message, unable to explain how it got to Lyons. His story didn’t hold up very well.
His lawyer said he’d changed his plea and accepted the message was abusive. The judge wasn’t impressed with his timing though, thinking Mullan should’ve admitted it earlier.
The judge said Mullan set a bad example for his kids, noting that Mullan is an unemployed father. This made the situation seem even worse.
The judge told Mullan his behavior was awful, stressing politicians deserve to do their jobs safely. Threats are wrong, no matter what; healthy debate is good, not threats.
The judge fined Mullan £500, which he needs to pay within 26 weeks. He learned a harsh lesson about online behavior, as his actions resulted in a fine.