Hillsborough: Man sentenced over offensive tweets

Louise Brookes' brother Andrew died in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989

A man has been handed a suspended jail sentence for sending a series of abusive and obscene Twitter messages to the sister of a Hillsborough victim.

Zakir Hussain, 28, had admitted five charges of sending malicious or obscene communications, some that tagged Louise Brookes, of Bromsgrove.

Her brother Andrew, 26, was one of 97 killed in the disaster in April 1989.

Fans were crushed during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Hussain of Brownlea Gardens, Ilford, was ordered to pay Ms Brookes £500 compensation.

He was also handed a 14-week suspended jail term at Stratford Magistrates' Court and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Zakir Hussain was ordered to carry out 200 hours community service

Tweets sent in April 2020 included a photo of Mr Brookes with faeces emojis superimposed on it.

One included threats to deface his grave, while another tweet made anti-Semitic remarks towards supporters of Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool fan Mr Brookes, a Land Rover worker from Bromsgrove, died as a result of his injuries, while his friends who he had travelled with all survived.

The judge said malicious communications had been timed by Hussain to coincide with the anniversary of Hillsborough and it was targeted offending with worldwide exposure online.

Louise Brookes said Hussain should be ashamed of his actions

Speaking after sentencing, Ms Brookes said Hussain should have "gone to prison".

She added: "He should be thoroughly ashamed of himself and the law needs to change."

Speaking previously to the BBC she said Hillsborough families and the survivors were "persecuted every single day on social media".

Hussain also admitted possession of a Class B drug.