The judge said the 47-year-old man, who has 29 previous convictions, had shown remorse. 9News
Michael Whitty, 47, set fire to the equipment box in the tower in Kirkby after encountering the conspiracy theory online, the BBC reported.The father of three was sentenced to three years behind bars.
The fire caused between about $18,000 and $27,000 of damage, and rendered the tower inoperable for 11 days. The judge said that Whitty, who has 29 previous convictions - including for assault and firearm possession - had shown remorse.Unfounded claims about a supposed link between 5G and COVID-19 began circulating on the fringes of the internet, where New Agers and QAnon followers perpetuated the hoax that global elites were using 5G to spread the virus.
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