TikTok star Mizzy banned from social media and faces custodial sentence

  • Published
MizzyImage source, Bacari-Bronze O'Garro
Image caption,

Mizzy is set to be sentenced on 21 November

The TikTok star known as Mizzy has been banned from using social media and faces a custodial sentence after he was found guilty of posting videos featuring people without their consent.

The prankster, real name Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, 19, was charged with four breaches of a criminal behaviour order.

It banned him from sharing videos of people without seeking their approval.

He was found to have "deliberately flouted" the court order "within hours" of it being passed in May.

Judge Matthew Bone criticised O'Garro at Stratford Magistrates Court for "lacking all credibility" after he denied breaching the order.

He is set to be sentenced on 21 November at Thames Magistrates Court.

The judge ordered the father-of-one not to use social media "at all", except to send messages, until the sentencing, and warned that he could be detained for the offences he had committed.

The court heard how O'Garro began sharing videos of people without their consent on the same day the criminal behaviour order was passed, on 24 May.

The court was shown footage, shared on O'Garro's X account (formerly known as Twitter) on 24 May, that featured him in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford after he had appeared on Piers Morgan's TalkTV show and mocked the British judicial system.

In the video, passers-by, whose consent had not been sought, were visible in the background as Mizzy said to the camera: "The UK law is a joke."

Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Earlier, O'Garro's defence lawyer tried to have the hearing adjourned, saying the defendant had recently been arrested

Others videos shared on his Snapchat account, which were also in breach because they were filmed without people's consent, showed "two people being roughed up on camera". O'Garro claimed were hoax videos made with their prior agreement.

He also claimed a friend had logged in and posted videos to X without his consent, but the judge dismissed this.

O'Garro told the court he only mocked the British justice system to get a reaction online.

He was found guilty of two of the four charges of breaching his criminal behaviour order by posting the videos.

Judge Bone said the behaviour was a "deliberate challenge to the criminal behaviour order" which crossed "the custody threshold".

Earlier, O'Garro's defence lawyer Paul Lennon tried to have the hearing adjourned, saying the defendant had recently been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

Also arrested was O'Garro's main witness in the case, who was due to give evidence at the trial, and both were bailed on the condition they did not contact each other, the court heard.

Mr Lennon claimed O'Garro was unable to receive a "fair trial" without his only witness, but his application was rejected by Judge Bone.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.