£3,000 legal bill for Twitter airport hoaxer as he loses appeal

Paul Chambers now faces a total bill of 3,000 after a judge refused to accept his actions had been a joke and were not intended to cause fear among airport staff and passengers. Chambers, 27, lived in Balby, Doncaster, when he posted the message in January this year but now lives in Northern Ireland. He appeared at Doncaster Crown Court to mount his appeal.

He was originally convicted at Doncaster Magistrates Court last May after being found guilty by a district judge of sending a menacing electronic communication via a public network.

Fined 385, he was also ordered to pay 600 prosecution costs and a 15 victim surcharge after posting the message on Twitter on January 6, when he found out Robin Hood Airport, near Doncaster, was closed because of snow.

Chambers was planning to fly from the airport to Belfast later that month to meet a new girlfriend and posted a Tweet which read: "Crap! Robin Hood Airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your s***together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!"

Chambers gave evidence from the witness box at yesterday's hearing, repeatedly denying he had intended to cause anyone distress, claiming "it never crossed my mind". But after his case was rejected he was told he must pay a further 2,000 in costs incurred by the Crown Prosecution Service in defending his conviction at the crown court.

Dismissing the appeal, Judge Jacqueline Davies, sitting with two magistrates, said the message posted on Twitter by Chambers fitted the "dictionary definition" of the word menacing.

Because he is jobless, Chambers was told he could pay the combined costs of 2,600 at 10 a month. Judge Davies ordered that he pay the 385 fine and 15 victims surcharge at a rate of 10 a fortnight and advised Chambers to increase his payments when he found a job.

Chambers refused to comment after the hearing, but his solicitor David Allen-Green said his client was "disappointed and would be taking legal advice over a further appeal".

Director of Robin Hood Airport Mike Morton said: "We will continue to work closely with police to make sure that any kind of unacceptable behaviour is dealt with immediately."