Islamophobic's Get Raged?

Man jailed for first 'web-rage' attack

November 18, 2006

Reuters

London: A British man said to have carried out the country's first "web-rage" attack was jailed for 2-1/2 years on Friday for assaulting a man with whom he had exchanged insults over the internet.

Paul Gibbons, 47, from south London, admitted he had attacked John Jones in December 2005 after months of exchanging abuse with him via an internet chat room dedicated to discussing Islam.

London's central criminal court heard that Gibbons had "taken exception" to Jones, 43, after Jones alleged that Gibbons had been "interfering with children".

After several more verbal and written exchanges, during which Jones threatened to track down Gibbons and give him a severe beating, Gibbons and a friend went to his victim's house in Essex, east of London, armed with a pickaxe and a machete.

Jones himself was armed with a knife but Gibbons seized it from him, held it to his throat and "scratched" him across the neck, the court was told.

Gibbons, who the court heard had previous convictions for "violent offences", pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding on the first day of his trial last month.