Politician Is First Brit To Be Fined For Twitter Libel

Caerphilly county councillor Colin Elsbury has become the first UK citizen to be successfully prosecuted for committing libel via the micro-blogging site Twitter.

On Friday, Elsbury was ordered by Cardiff Crown Court to pay £3,000 in damages plus legal costs estimated at £50,000 after he wrongly claimed via Twitter that rival Eddie Talbot had been removed from a polling station by police during a 2009 by-election.

Elsbury, who eventually won the St Martin’s ward by-election, is to post an apology to Talbot on Twitter.

Elsbury (pictured) claimed it was a case of mistaken identity – in fact a member of the public had been ejected from the polling station – but Talbot took him to court over the incident.

Talbot’s solicitor, Nigel Jones, predicted that the case would open the way for future Twitter libel cases in the UK. He said the amount of compensation was less important than the protection of Talbot’s reputation.

Twitter bomb joker

In January 2010 Paul Chambers was fined £1,000 for posting a joke on Twitter about blowing up a snow-bound airport.

Chambers tweeted that he might blow up Robin Hood airport near Doncaster, in frustration that it was snowed in, preventing him from visiting an online acquaintance in Belfast. His post read: “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!”

To his dismay, the authorities took the post seriously, and arrested him. Chambers was detained for most of a day, had his home raided and computer seized, and lost his job as a trainee accountant. He was eventually convicted in May for sending a menacing electronic communication.

Chambers’ court battle went to the High Court in November.