Student jailed for Muamba tweets loses appeal

Student jailed for Muamba tweets loses appeal

Published Mar. 30, 2012 9:04 p.m. ET

A student lost his appeal Friday over a jail sentence for mocking Bolton's Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after the midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest.

Liam Stacey, a 21-year-old student at Swansea University, admitted to a charge of inciting racial hatred with his tweets following Muamba's collapse on the field. He was sentenced to 56 days in jail on Tuesday.

His appeal was dismissed by a High Court judge in Swansea. Judge Wyn Williams said Stacey ''was intending to say what he said and was intending to produce the effect that he did.''

Muamba's heart stopped beating on its own for 78 minutes after he collapsed during an FA Cup quarterfinal match against Tottenham on March 17.

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He has recovered but remains in a London hospital.

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