Crime

Teen charged for sending death threats to ‘homophobic old s***’ Arlene Foster on Facebook

Jul 07 2017
Written by Jake Patel

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – JANUARY 11: Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster attends a photo call at Stormont after becoming the new First Minister on January 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Arlene Foster becomes the new Northern Ireland First Minister today following in the footsteps of former DUP leader Peter Robinson who has stood down from the post. Foster becomes the first female First Minister in the province will share the office of First Minister with Deputy Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

An 18-year-old teenager is due to appear in court after sending threatening messages to Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster.

Mark Sloan, from County Down, was arrested after he allegedly sent Foster sexual and violent threats over Facebook Messenger.

Foster and the DUP are currently supporting the Conservative Party’s minority government.

The DUP has blocked all attempts to progress equal marriage in Northern Ireland.

Sloan allegedly messaged Foster saying that she should “go hang herself.”

He is said to have continued: “Your and [sic] old c*** who doesn’t deserve to live you homophobic old s***”.”

Sloan also allegedly said that he hopes her family “got a few [bullets] in the head”.

He has been charged with the improper use of a public electronic communications network.

Sloan is due to appear at Newry Magistrates Court on August 2.

A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said that “as in normal procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

In January, police investigated other death threats received by Foster.

One of these messages said that the Northern Irish leader should be beheaded.

The DUP has supported the introduction of a UK-wide ‘conscience clause’ to protect people who discriminate against LGBT people.

In June, Foster spoke out against claims that her party is homophobic.

In an interview with ITV, Foster branded these claims “nonsense”.

“We take a particular view in relation to the definition of marriage; that does not mean in any one way that we are homophobic,” she added.

Foster has also insisted that many gay people don’t really want to get married.