Will student "troll" who posted racist Fabrice Muamba tweet be regretting the power of his words?

University student Liam Stacey will tonight be realising just how powerful his words are.

The 21-year-old Welsh biology undergraduate (below, picture: Wales New Service) has probably been stripped, searched, showered, and locked in a cell with a total, and maybe violent stranger, to bed down for his first night behind bars as a convicted criminal.

He  was sentenced to 56 days in prison for posting abusive and racist messages on twitter.

His actions came about after footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed with heart failure on the pitch two weeks ago.

In the moments that followed, Stacey began to spout vile, racist taunts via the social network at the young black player who had been taken seriously ill.

In one he wrote: “LOL [laugh out loud]. **** Muamba. He’s dead!!!” 

When other twitter users became outraged he spat more racist comments at them, many of which are so offensive, I have chosen not to print them.

He was arrested in the early hours the following day, at which point he undoubtably realised he was waking up to the worst hangover of his life.

Most of us have done things we regret after one too many, but it is usually no more embarrassing than a slurred phone call, or confessions of undying love to someone you hardly know.

But for Lacey, getting tanked up before clicking “send” sparked a snowball of events which ended in him being jailed, landed with a criminal record, and branded publicly as a vile racist thug.

And it is not just a couple of weeks in jail and a slap on the wrist he is going to have to contend with.

The very medium which he used to land himself in this mess is perpetuating his downfall with astonishing speed - word indeed travels fast on the net.

His fellow students are campaigning for him to be booted out of Swansea University which has begun disciplinary measures, a petition has gathered some 200 signatures.

The student union has  also distanced themselves from him and his racist remarks.

Even Lord Sugar has got in on the act tweeting: “good job, be warned idiots.”

This cocksure young twerp may have thought he was being funny, and impressing his mates by spouting his vicious words to the ears of the wold, but he finds himself standing very much alone now that he has fallen face-first into the proverbial.

In court Lacey’s defence said although his comments showed him to be  a “bigot” he was actually “a kind and caring person”, who felt “genuine remorse”.

Good luck trying to convince everyone you meet over the next few years of that one.

Realising he had caused outrage by sending the messages, Stace tried to backtrack, but “your tweet was sent!” means just that, you can never get it back.  

After the police became involved he attempted to delete his twitter account.

But by this point the racist genie was well and truly out of the bottle.

Jailing him yesterday District Judge John Charles said: “In my view there is no alternative to an immediate prison sentence.”

Jim Brisbane, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wales, said: “We hope this case will serve as a warning to anyone who may think that comments made online are somehow beyond the law.”

Muamba, 23,  collapsed during a FA Cup tie between his side and Tottenham, his condition is said to be improving.

The case highlights something people often forget when they are hurling insults back and forth over the net, you are publishing, and the same laws of contempt, libel and in this case inciting racial hatred apply.

I doubt very much, when Lacey was sniggering at his comments, that he would in less than a month be waking up in prison with his life in tatters.

His sentence was received with mixed opinion. Some say he deserved everything he got, others think he should have the right to say what he wants, however offensive, without costing him his liberty.

But this is the danger with twitter, and to a certain extent Facebook.

You are not just having your say, or making a few throwaway drunken comments to a handful of mates.

You are standing on the world’s biggest soapbox, holding a loudspeaker and shouting to the entire global population, with your name printed beside your comments and your signature firmly positioned on the dotted line.

My advice to Mr Lacey would be, you are entitled to your views, but if they are  libelous, defamatory, in contempt of court, incite violence or racism, do yourself a favour - keep them to yourself.