Facebook 'friend request' lands UK man in jail

'I didn't know my ex-wife had an account, your Honour'

By Drew Cullen • Get more from this author

Posted in Law, 4th October 2007 23:46 GMT

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A man who joined Facebook to look at his friend's wedding pics, was sent to jail after the site automatically sent a "friend request" message to his estranged wife.

Dillon Osborn, of Newport Pagnell Bucks, had been told by magistrates to stay away from his wife, Claire Tarbox, after bombarding her with phone calls and text messages, the Daily Telegraph reports.

A judge ordered him to spend ten days in prison for breaking his bail conditions. Osborn, 37, served seven days, getting out a little early after a plea from his solicitor.

Osborn told the Telegraph. that Facebook's sign-in procedure had confused him. I certainly hadn’t intended to contact my wife... I didn’t even know she had a Facebook account. To be honest, I don’t think the judge understood how it works either. People on Facebook should be careful - this could easily happen to someone else.” ®

Telegraph story.

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