LONDON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A British man was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison Friday for physically assaulting another man after an online quarrel.
Paul Gibbons of London is believed to be the first person in the country sentenced in an Internet rage case, The Telegraph reported.
Prosecutors said Gibbons and John Jones encountered each other in a Web site for people with an interest in Islam. Their online relationship soured, and Gibbons accused Jones of spreading malicious rumors.
Gibbons pleaded guilty last month, admitting that he traveled 70 miles to Jones' home in Clacton, Essex, armed with an ax handle and accompanied by a man with a machete. Jones was holding a knife when he opened the door, but his assailants disarmed him.
Sgt. Jean-Marc Bazzoni of the Essex Police suggested that Jones had been unwise to post information on the Internet, including photos of his children, which allowed Gibbons to find him.
