Man loses appeal on web comments

Gavin Brent claimed he posted the comments "to let off steam"

A convicted thief who posted "grossly offensive and threatening" comments on the internet about a detective who arrested him has lost a court appeal.

Gavin Brent, 24, from Holywell, Flintshire left a message about Stephen Lloyd's baby after he was arrested for theft. He later admitted this offence.

He was convicted for the comments under the Telecommunications Act in April.

But his appeal, which claimed there was insufficient evidence, was thrown out by judges sitting at Mold Crown Court.

Brent, who failed to attend the court for his appeal hearing, filed the angry rant against the police, the CPS and his own lawyers after being charged with 19 offences of theft and two charges under the Proceeds of Crime Act involving internet purchases in February.

His posting ended: "P.S. - D.C. Lloyd, God help your new-born baby".

He claimed he left the message on a website he created called E-Buyerhell.com "to let off steam".

I was afraid to leave the house with the baby on my own or if somebody came to the house and I didn't know them Claire Lloyd

At the subsequent court case in April, he was fined £150 and ordered to pay £364 costs.

At the appeal in Mold Crown Court on Friday, Lord Kingsland QC and two judges ordered Brent, who is unemployed, to pay £239 costs after hearing from Det Con Lloyd and his wife Claire.

She told the hearing the threat terrified her to the extent she was scared to leave the family home.

"I took it to mean harm would come to my baby and it would be taken from me," she said.

"Obviously, I was very upset and emotional, crying.

"I was afraid to leave the house with the baby on my own or if somebody came to the house and I didn't know them.

"I didn't know anything about him which made things worse - I didn't know if he was capable of causing harm or turning up at the house."

Her husband said: "I was very upset, I was on paternity leave for our first baby.

Having your first baby is supposed to be the most treasured thing in the world but seeing that choked me Det con Stephen Lloyd

"It was an emotional and happy time but to see something so personal on the web was very intimidating.

"I couldn't think of anything worse at the time.

"Having your first baby is supposed to be the most treasured thing in the world but seeing that choked me.

"It spoilt a very special time for us."

When Brent was first arrested for the offence on 27 February, he protested: "You can write on websites because it is freedom of speech."

He denied intending to threaten the couple and said the comment was purely a criticism "of the way DC Lloyd had spoken to me and I knew from the past what it is like to have an abusive father and it is not very nice".

Unemployed Brent apologised and removed the post from the website.

In July, Brent was given a 12 month suspended sentence after admitting stealing equipment worth £20,000 from an online shop after he spotted flaws on its website.

Det Con Lloyd had investigated Brent when the theft came to light.