Cambs man sent abusive and racist messages to England footballer

The messages contained racially offensive language and slurs

A Cambridgeshire man who sent racist and abusive messages to an England footballer has been sentenced. Brian Bealey, 69, of Main Street, Witchford, Ely, posted comments on social media platform X directed at the then Tottenham Hotspur player Djed Spence.

Bealey was identified following a referral from the Football Association and Premier League after an England game against Uruguay on March 27. He posted the messages on X between March 17 and 29.

Investigators linked the X account to Bealey. The messages he was sending contained racially offensive language and slurs which were directed at Spence, who now plays for Inter Milan, and other individuals. The messages were deemed to be grossy offensive and racially aggravated.

At Cambridge Crown Court on September 17, Bealey pleaded guilty to sending by public communication offensive messages and was fined £1,000.

Detective Sergeant Dominic Carminati, who investigated, said: “There is absolutely no place for racism, either in football or in society as a whole. Djed Spence was subjected to a series of offensive, degrading and racially aggravated messages that were intended to cause distress and spread hatred online.

“People often believe they can hide behind anonymous social media accounts, but this case demonstrates that those who use online platforms to target others with racist abuse can and will be identified. We would encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses racist abuse online to report it to the platform involved and to police.”