Student jailed for Muamba comments

A university student has been jailed for 56 days for inciting racial hatred with comments he made on Twitter after the collapse of Fabrice Muamba.

Liam Stacey, a 21-year-old biology student at Swansea University, posted several insulting remarks on the social networking site after Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during Bolton’s FA Cup quarter-final tie with Spurs on March 17.

District judge John Charles told Swansea Magistrates Court Stacey’s comments were ‘vile’ and ‘abhorrent’ and added that there was ‘no alternative’ to a prison sentence.

Police were alerted to Stacey’s comments by Twitter users who were outraged by the remarks.

The judge took into account his early guilty plea and the fact he had been drinking at the time of posting the comments.

Stacey, who wept as he was led from the court, has been suspended by Swansea University and will face a formal disciplinary hearing over the matter.

Muamba has made good strides in his recovery from the heart attack, with the 23-year-old last reported to be sitting out of bed and eating.