A football fan Jamie Arnold is guilty for making racial comments on Rio Ferdinand. The incident happened when Ferdinand was working as a pundit for TNT back in May 2021. It was a game between Wolves and Manchester United. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Jamie Arnold, 33, made “derogatory remarks and hand gestures” at Ferdinand. He was declared guilty in Wolverhampton Crown court following a two-day trial.
Ferdinand welcomes everyone involved in Jamie trial
Meanwhile, Ferdinand said in response to the news,
“I’ve been involved in a Court case in Wolverhampton since May 2021.“
“Today the guy who racially abused me is guilty & will now have to face consequences for his actions.
“Racism will only eradicate when we all work together as a society!
“The prosecution wouldn’t have been possible without all the help/support from the witnesses, Wolverhampton fans & staff that came forward to testify in court.
“Special thank you to Police Constable Stuart Ward (Football Hate Crime Officer), my Family and my team at New Era!”
Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, Alistair Redford, said:
“Arnold made despicable racist gestures towards a victim who was just trying to do his job.
“I would like to thank the stewards whose quick-thinking actions ensured they could identify and remove Arnold from the stadium that day, and for Mr Ferdinand and witnesses who came forward to help us build as strong a case as possible.”
A Kick It Out spokesperson said: “Kick It Out welcomes the guilty verdict handed to Arnold today.
“It is imperative that perpetrators of discriminatory abuse are held to account for their actions. We hope this result sends a strong statement that racism has no place in our, or in society.
“We commend the CPS and West Midlands Police for their work securing justice in this case and would urge authorities across the country to take similar incidents of discriminatory abuse just as seriously.
“Kick It Out continue to work with partners across football to tackle discriminatory abuse as it happens and to ensure that victims receive the support they need. We would encourage anyone who witnesses discrimination of any sort in future to report it directly to us.”
