Two Teenagers Face Jail Terms for Posting Photo on Facebook

 

The teenagers were jailed over social media posts which made abusive comments about a judge and glorified a murderer.

 

The teenagers were charged for illegally taking photos at the Bristol Crown Court during the sentencing of their friend, Ryan Sheppard, in August 2014, and the uploading of the images on Facebook.

 

It was gathered that Damien Parker-Stokes, 19, and a 17-year-old who cannot be identified, were guilty of a serious contempt of court, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas and Mr Justice Ouseley heard at London’s High Court on Wednesday.

 

To make matters worse, the pictures were accompanied by comments which ‘vilified’ the judicial process and ‘glorified’ Sheppard.

 

Sheppard was arraigned in court for beating a 35-year-old engineer Mark Roberts to death in an ‘unprovoked, sustained and brutal’ attack in Weston-super-Mare in October 2013 and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years and three months.

 

The 17-year-old had nine convictions for 16 offences, including four offences relating to police, courts or prisons, while Parker-Stokes had 21 convictions for 54 offences, including 27 relating to police, courts or prisons.

 

The judges are expected to reserve their decision to a later date.