Morecambe man who waged online hate campaign sentenced

Cowen admitted that the posts were unacceptable and went on to plead guilty at court

A man who waged a five-month social media hate campaign against a woman has been punished by magistrates.

John Cowen, 29, of Morecambe, Lancashire, posted a series of threatening and racist comments about a woman and her company on social media.

The posts caused fear and outrage and were totally unprovoked, Preston Magistrates' Court heard.

Cowen was handed a 12-month community order with 30 rehabilitation days and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard that when Cowen was first questioned by police, he claimed he had posted the comments as a joke and was defending his work and the work of social media friends.

He said he felt he had to send extreme messages for shock value so he would be listened to.

Cowen admitted that the posts were unacceptable and went on to plead guilty.

Following an application from the Crown Prosecution Service, an indefinite restraining order was also put in place to protect the victim and her company in the future.

Elliott Taylforth, district crown prosecutor for the North West, said: "Cowen's repeated threats and racial abuse was completely unacceptable.

"I hope this sentence will serve as a reminder that perpetrators of racial abuse cannot hide behind their computer screens.

"Hate crimes have a corrosive effect on society and we will always prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so."