Belfast Woman Jailed For Threatening City Officials On YouTube
A Belfast woman is sentenced to jail and probation for threatening city officials on a YouTube video.
58-year-old Laurie Allen was found guilty this week of terrorizing with a dangerous weapon. The charges stemmed from a video she posted on YouTube that showed her shooting a target with a scoped rifle. At the end of the video, prosecutors say she named several city officials and employees, thanking them for being her 'targets.'
WGME-TV reports some councilors have said that she has a long history of causing trouble with city officials. One city councilor said Allen had screamed at her in a local grocery store, accusing her of murdering her children. Allen was banned from attending meetings at City Hall last year.
In addition to the jail time, Allen is prohibited from possessing any weapons and must go through a mental health evaluation. In court, she said the YouTube video should be protected as free speech, but the judge disagreed, saying free speech is not unlimited and the video comes across as a serious threat.