CRIMINAL LAW

The case arose out of offensive material posted on the internet. The complainant was unaware of its existence until it was drawn to his attention some five months later by a police officer.

HELD The offence under the Public Order Act 1986, s 4A(1)(b) (intentionally displaying a visible representation which causes harassment, alarm or distress) may be established even where the harassment, alarm or distress crystallises only at the date several months after the act complained of. Moreover, it could not be said that the police had broken that chain of causation five months later by showing the complainant the photograph.