http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17515992

A student who admitted posting racially offensive comments on Twitter about footballer Fabrice Muamba has been jailed for 56 days.

Swansea University student Liam Stacey, 21, from Pontypridd, admitted inciting racial hatred over remarks about the Bolton Wanderers player, who collapsed during a FA Cup tie at Tottenham.

A district judge in Swansea called the comments "vile and abhorrent".

Muamba, 23, who suffered a cardiac arrest, is still in intensive care.

Sentencing Stacey at Swansea Magistrates' Court, District Judge John Charles told him: "In my view, there is no alternative to an immediate prison sentence.

"It was not the football world who was praying for [Muamba].... everybody was praying for his life."

Stacey broke down in tears as he was led away to begin his jail term.

As he passed the public gallery, he was briefly embraced by friends and his parents.

A second year biology student at Swansea, Stacey was arrested after his comments on the social networking site were reported by other users.

A number of people challenged Stacey on Twitter following his first comment, and he responded with a number of offensive posts aimed at other Twitter users.

Fabrice Muamba, 23, remains critically ill after collapsing during a match on 17 March

Last week the court heard how Stacey posted the offensive comments shortly after the former England Under-21 star collapsed during the FA Cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane on 17 March.

Magistrates were told police forces across Britain received complaints following the comments.

'Disciplinary'

Stacey tried to "distance himself" from the tweets by claiming his account had been hacked, the court was told.

He later tried to delete his page but was arrested the following day at his student house in Swansea.

When interviewed by police, Stacey said he had been drinking since lunchtime on Saturday and was drunk when he made the comments.

Stacey was initially released on bail pending sentence and was ordered not to use Twitter and other social networking sites.

Jim Brisbane, chief crown prosecutor for CPS Cymru-Wales, said: "Racist language is inappropriate in any setting and through any media.

"We hope this case will serve as a warning to anyone who may think that comments made online are somehow beyond the law."

A Swansea University spokesperson said: "The student remains suspended from the university pending the conclusion of our disciplinary proceedings."

Stacey has also been de-registered as a player with Treorchy rugby club, where he has turned out for the second team on occasions.

Club chairman Andrew Jones said: "We haven't met as a committee yet but we recognise the need to respond at the earliest possible opportunity and we've taken the decision to de-register him as a player at Treorchy Rugby Football Club as of today."

He added: "Like other members of the public, we as a club in no way support the comments made and the last thing we would want would be to associate ourselves with them.

"I sincerely hope he takes time to reflect on his actions."

There has also been a reaction on Twitter to the sentence, with Lord Sugar - former Spurs chairman - saying "Be warned idiots!," while Gary Lineker posted "Let it be a warning to all you immature souls. #thinkbeforeyoutweet"

Muamba remains in intensive care in a London hospital where his condition is described as serious but stable.

Bolton and Tottenham played their re-arranged FA Cup fixture on Tuesday evening, with a minute's applause before kick-off.

Essentially some twat tweeted something racist about Muamba (the footballer who collapsed of cardiac arrest while on the field). Now he's been given 56 days in jail.

Is it just me or is it wrong that somebody should be jailed for saying something merely for it being offensive?

I thought we had freedom of speech? WTF am I missing???

It does seem a little extreme to send him to jail, though I don't know what he posted so maybe I would feel differently about jail in general if it was really bad... but 56 days is definitely extreme. Although I guess twitter as a medium makes it worse than if he had spoken in a general public area, as it reaches more people. Still... I am having a hard time thinking of anything offensive enough to count for more than a few days in jail.

We do. Wales doesn't.

His tweets may have been offensive for some people, but sending him to jail for them is FUBAR.

If this continues I might have to fear the death penalty for remarks I have previously made against people IRL.

In other words, I abhore this move this man to jail, it's still a free world afterall, or is it?...

Hmm, some mayor of a city here made some rude remarks about chinese on Twitter after a chinese restaurant here was robbed a few, I wonder if I can have this man sent to jail as well...

Oh Europe, you used to be cool

The US has freedom of speech? Pretty sure someone posted a story here about a month ago where some UK holidaymakers were arrested and deported for tweeting about exhuming Marylin Monroe.

I wish people would stop saying this. There are a lot of athetist football fans, so I find the notion that 'everyone was praying' for him quite irratating. Yes, I was hoping he pulled through and made a recovery, but I was not praying for him.

He mostly posted a bunch of obnoxious stuff like telling Bolton fans to suck Muamba's dead black dick, and then told angry people who responded to him that they were inbred half-wogs. It's worth finding screens of his Twitter feed to watch him go from internet tuff guy to apologetic Muamba wellwisher.

While I'm sure his comments are horrible as is racism in general... GOD BLESS AMERICA and its Freedom of ALL speech. (well, at least for now)