Eighteen year old Keeley Houghton has become the UK’s first cyber-bully to be jailed for bullying via a social networking site. She posted death threats on her Facebook page that she would kill Emily Moore, also 18, who she had bullied since they were at school together.

She was sentenced to three months in a Young Offender’s Institution, having pled guilty to harassment. She was also issued with a restraining order banning her from any contact (of any sort) with her victim.

On 12 July 2009, Houghton wrote on her Facebook site: “Keeley is going to murder the bitch. She is an actress. What a fucking liberty. Emily Fuckhead Moore.”

The sentence may seem a little on the short side, especially when you consider that Keely had two previous convictions: in 2005, for assaulting Emily as she walked home from school; and in 2003, for causing criminal damage to her home by kicking her front door.

When it comes to issuing death threats it seems that it is better to do so by Facebook (3 months) than by good ol’ fashioned letter (9 months). Other innovative ways of delivering death threats have included:

• postcard in a Bible;
• in open court, before a judge and jury; and
• by text message, to yourself.

Posted to Absolvitor: Scots Law Online.