Man Receives Suspended Sentence for Racist Abuse of England Footballer
A 60-year-old man who sent what authorities described as "totally abhorrent" racist social media messages to England defender Jess Carter during last summer's European Championships has avoided immediate jail time. Nigel Dewale from Great Harwood in Lancashire was sentenced to six weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and banned from attending football grounds for four years.
Court Proceedings and Charges
Dewale pleaded guilty to one charge of malicious communications and possession of a weapon in a private place during proceedings at Blackburn Magistrates Court in January. The weapon in question was an extendable baton discovered during a search of his residence, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The prosecution followed an investigation by the UK Football Policing Unit into abuse directed at Carter last July. Officers successfully traced some of the offensive messages to Dewale's home address, leading to his arrest at the end of August.
Details of the Offensive Messages
Dewale sent two posts from his TikTok account under the username "Bogeyman" during the Euros tournament. Authorities revealed he was "in drink" at home when he responded to a news article about police investigating online racial abuse previously received by Carter following England's matches against France and Sweden.
His messages included statements that "women's football is diabolical" and "should not be on national television," accompanied by racist insults directed at the player. He further criticized the televising of women's football as a "waste of airtime."
Official Responses and Consequences
Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the football policing lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council, stated that Dewale's comments caused significant emotional distress for Carter and her family. Following the sentencing, John Moran for the CPS emphasized that Dewale "chose racism over patriotism" and declared the case should serve as "a stark reminder to so-called keyboard warriors that online actions have consequences."
Moran added: "This type of social media offending will not be tolerated. Those who peddle hate, on or off the pitch, will be brought to justice."
Impact on the Victim and Additional Penalties
Carter, a 28-year-old defender who plays for US team Gotham FC and was part of the Lionesses squad that successfully defended their title at the tournament in Switzerland, stopped using social media following the racist abuse. She has previously spoken out about the stereotypes facing black women in Britain.
As part of his suspended sentence conditions, Dewale must complete 10 rehabilitation days and abide by a three-month curfew requiring him to remain at home between 8pm and 6am during the suspension period.
