Gareth Tinson jailed for offensive messages sent to Council staff

Gareth Tinson, 34, from Porth has been given an immediate four month custodial sentence at Cardiff Magistrates Court today, for offensive messages sent to council staff through an online portal, following an appeal against a parking ticket. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court heard that between August 25 and November 17, 2015, Tinson sent offensive, indecent and obscene messages through a portal to Council staff. This communication arose as Tinson refused to pay a parking ticket, claiming that he put the ticket on his windscreen. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rachel Anthony, prosecuting, explained that Tinsons’ language used ‘constant profanity’ which included harassment and other malicious communication. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It was made clear to the court that in this case, the council employee receiving the communication ‘has never been in receipt of such abuse in 20 years.’ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court heard that Tinson had previous convictions for similar offences – directed at the HMRC – where Tinson was previously employed. For these offences Tinson received an Intensive Alternative to Custody Order (IAC) which took the form of both a Community Order and a Restraining Order. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tarick Sadiq, defending, claimed that Tinson was responding to messages that he was sent, that he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and accepts that there would be serious implications for his client as he breached his IAC Order. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tarick Sadiq maintained that Tinson has learned from his mistakes, has huge remorse, needs help with his anger management issues and asked the court if they could give him one last opportunity by considering a suspended sentence. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

District Judge Bodfan Jenkins, summed up the case by saying, “You are a man with a number of problems, the court has tried to assist you with the lenient sentences from previous offending. You have ignored these attempts, as the previous offending is very similar to the case before me today. It is clear that the community orders have had no effect on you, as you committed this offence in breach of your Community Order. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The facts of this case are very serious, as you gave a tirade of insults and filth. The offending is gross and those subject to your abuse will get the protection from this court. The offence I sentence you to today has a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment. With your guilty pleas I credit to you a reduction of a third to your sentence, so the maximum I can give you is four months imprisonment. If my powers were not severely restricted, you would be going to prison for a lot longer.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​