criminal-law united-kingdom
What law(s) did Paul Bussetti break when he burnt the model of Grenfell Tower?
<p>Paul Bussetti has just been given a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61160971" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10-week suspended jail sentence</a> for burning a model of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell_Tower_fire" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Grenfell Tower</a> (The tower in London that caught fire in 2017 killing 72 people).</p>
<p>Having read that BBC article and some others (Guardian, LBC) no one has said what law(s) he broke.</p>
<p>What law(s) has he broken?</p>

<p>The first sentence of the cited article reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A man has admitted sharing a <strong>grossly offensive</strong> video of a cardboard model of Grenfell Tower being burned on a bonfire.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127?timeline=false" rel="noreferrer">Section 127</a> of the Communications Act 2003 seems to be the most relevant offence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(1)A person is guilty of an offence if he—</p>
<p>(a)sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, there's also similar offence under <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/27/section/1?timeline=false" rel="noreferrer">section 1</a> of the Malicious Communications Act 1988:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(1)Any person who sends to another person—</p>
<p>(a)a letter, electronic communication or article of any description which conveys—</p>
<ul>
<li>(i)a message which is indecent or grossly offensive;</li>
</ul>
<p>(b) [...]</p>
<p>is guilty of an offence if his purpose, or one of his purposes, in sending it is that it should, so far as falling within paragraph (a) or (b) above, cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intends that it or its contents or nature should be communicated...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Both charges seem available on the information provided, so it was up to the Crown Prosecution Service to pick the most likely to succeed.</p>
