Man who wore offensive t-shirt following murders of PCs Bone and Hughes jailed

Barry Thew

A man who wore a t-shirt with hand-written offensive comments about the murders of PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes on it just hours after their killings has been sentenced.

Barry Thew (17/01/1973), of Wolsey Street, Radcliffe, admitted a Section 4A Public Order Offence (displaying writing or other visible representation with intention of causing harassment, alarm or distress).

At Minshull Street Crown Court today, Thursday 11 October 2012, he was sentenced to a total of eight months in prison.

At about 2.15pm on Tuesday 18 September 2012, less than three-and-a-half hours after PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone were shot dead, Thew was seen wearing the offensive t-shirt in Radcliffe town centre.

He was arrested and taken into custody.

Inspector Bryn Williams, of the Radcliffe Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "While officers on the ground were just learning of and trying to come to terms with the devastating news that two colleagues had been murdered, Thew thought nothing of going out in public with a t-shirt daubed with appalling hand written comments on.

"Thankfully the overwhelming response from the public - who have inundated us with messages of support and condolence - prove that Thew is the exception and not the rule and our communities were right behind us at our darkest hour.

"To mock or joke about the tragic events of that morning is morally reprehensible and Thew has rightly been convicted and sentenced for his actions."