'Web Rage'
"An internet user has been found guilty of what police said was Britain's first 'web-rage' attack," the BBC reports:
Paul Gibbons, 47, tracked down John Jones using details obtained online after the pair exchanged insults in an internet chatroom, a court heard.
He travelled 70 miles to Mr Jones' home in Clacton, Essex, and beat him up with a pickaxe handle in December 2005. . . .
Gibbons, a man with a violent past, traced Mr Jones to his home using personal details about himself that he had put online.
Gibbons arrived at Mr Jones' home armed and accompanied by another man carrying a machete, the court heard.
Mr Jones, whose partner and three children were in the house, opened the door holding a knife for protection, said Mr Adebayo.
A fight broke out during which Mr Jones was disarmed and beaten with the pickaxe handle and cut with the knife.
One intriguing detail of the story, however, is never developed:
The pair met in an internet chatroom called Yahoo, Islam 10 as both had an interest in the Muslim faith, the Old Bailey was told.
Suppose they had met in a conservative Christian chat room or a neo-Nazi one. In that case, would the Beeb have reported the story as a generic case of "Web rage" with the subject matter at issue mentioned only in passing?
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