Wolves fan convicted of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand as police issue statement

Wolves fan Jamie Arnold has been convicted of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand as police have taken to issue a statement on the matter.

A verdict has been reached in the trial of the Wolves fan who is accused of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand.

Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett was at Wolverhampton Crown Court this afternoon (1 November), where he says: “Well, after 3 hours and 13 minutes of deliberations, the jury of six men and six women have just returned their verdict.

“And they have returned a unanimous verdict of guilty against 32 year old Jamie Arnold from Nortonbridge in Staffordshire, who was charged with racially abusing Rio Ferdinand and causing him aggravated harassment, alarm or distress, and indeed the same offence to others who heard and saw what he did nearby.

BREAKING: The jury has returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on the case of the Wolves fan who was charged with causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress towards Rio Ferdinand. pic.twitter.com/BPm3pMq4a8

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 1, 2023

“Now, this is all concerning a game back in May 2021, the first game back inside Molineux, after the coronavirus restrictions were partially lifted and some home fans were allowed back inside the stadium.

“On that day when Wolves took on Manchester United in the Premier League, Rio Ferdinand was in attendance.

“He was working as a pundit for BT Sports on a gantry inside the stadium on that day and he celebrated when Manchester United scored.

“The court heard that Mr Arnold responded with, and I apologize in advance for any offence that this next phrase causes, I will use it once and once only. Mr. Arnold responded with a monkey gesture, followed by the use of a racist word that he shouted at Mr. Ferdinand.

“Five separate witnesses gave testimony that they saw Mr. Arnold making that racist gesture.

“CCTV footage showed him making the gesture again shortly afterwards, as he was explaining to his father what he had just done.

:And indeed, when he was arrested by police and ejected from the stadium, body cam footage from the arresting police officer was shown inside court and Mr. Arnold was heard to admit to what he’d done.

“He said, ‘I knew when I did it, it was a stupid thing to do. I’m a stupid expletive now.’

“There is no sentencing today. The court has been adjourned pending the outcome of some pre sentence reports, which will be carried out by the probation service.

“So we don’t know what sentence Mr. Arnold is going to receive, but Judge Rona Campbell, who’s in charge of this case, has a maximum sentence of up to two years imprisonment available to her.

“Or it could be a fine, as little as a fine or a community service, if she deems that is the appropriate level of response here.

“But none of that will be decided until Friday, the eighth of December, when those pre-sentence reports have been concluded by the probation service.

“So, just by way of reminder, on the third day of this trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, the jury of six men and six women have returned a unanimous verdict of guilty against Jamie Arnold, 32 years old, from Norton Bridge in Staffordshire, who was charged with race abusing Rio Ferdinand at a game between Wolves and Manchester United back in 2021.

WEST MIDLANDS POLICE STATEMENT:

A football fan has been convicted of racially abusing TV pundit Rio Ferdinand at a Premier League game at Molineux.

Jamie Arnold hurled racist gestures at the former England defender during the Wolves and Manchester United fixture in May 2021.

A thorough investigation led by our dedicated football hate crime officer Pc Stuart Ward uncovered clear CCTV and strong witness evidence to support the case.

However, Arnold denied a charge of racially aggravated public order and went on trial before Wolverhampton Crown Court this week.

He was found guilty after a jury came back with a unanimous verdict and will be sentenced on 8 December.

The fixture was the first with fans at Molineux following the CoVID pandemic.

Arnold was previously banned from games for three years after being found guilty of hurling homophobic abuse and making gestures which mimicked disability during the same game. He was also ordered to pay almost £900 in fines and court costs.

Pc Ward – who was appointed the UK’s first dedicated hate crime officer within a football unit – said: “Abusing anyone for the colour of their skin is disgusting and can never, ever be condoned.

“Arnold is old enough to know such appalling behaviour is inexcusable and certainly won’t be tolerated.

“I know from personal experience how being a victim of racism hurts while offenders risk their own aspirations through getting a criminal record.

“I would like to thank Rio for his assistance in this investigation. Through his support we’ve ensured a man has this conviction to his name.”

SEE MORE: Video emerges of grim moment Newport’s Omar Bogle victim of racist gesture at Gillingham

PREMIER LEAGUE STATEMENT:

Ahead of No Room For Racism activation at matches, with players taking the knee, League’s website to offer fans chance to report abuse

All Premier League matches between 7 and 23 October will be dedicated to No Room For Racism, as the League reiterates its call for supporters to challenge and report discrimination, wherever they see it. Players will take the knee at all 20 fixtures to show their unity against all forms of discrimination.

This comes as the Premier League, EFL and The FA joined with other football bodies this week in a unified approach in the fight against discrimination, sending a clear message that racism will not be tolerated at any level of the game.

Report racism to the Premier League

Fans can now report online discriminatory abuse they see targeted at Premier League players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families directly at premierleague.com/reportracism. Each report will be investigated by the League’s specialist team.

Through its online abuse reporting system, which launched in 2020, the Premier League provides support for players and others within football who suffer online hate. The League’s dedicated investigation team tracks abuse and reports it to social media companies for removal. The team also works to identify perpetrators around the world, with legal action taken where possible. In the past three seasons, the Premier League has investigated more than 1,000 cases.

Discriminatory abuse is illegal, causes hurt to those targeted and damages football. The Premier League and clubs are committed to working with the authorities to bring offenders to justice and have introduced tougher sanctions. Those identified and found guilty of discrimination will face punishment, including automatic stadium bans and legal prosecution. This can affect education and employment opportunities and could lead to custodial sentences.

Along with the other English football authorities, the League has lobbied the UK Government in the development of the Online Safety Bill, which was passed recently. We will continue to work proactively with the Government, regulators and social media companies to ensure that combatting discriminatory abuse remains a priority.

Fans who experience or witness discrimination while at a Premier League match should contact the nearest steward or police officer, or report it by using clubs’ confidential text services, which can also be found at premierleague.com/reportracism.

No Room For Racism Action Plan

The ongoing No Room For Racism initiative brings together all the work the Premier League undertakes to tackle discrimination and promote equality. In February 2021, the League launched its No Room For Racism Action Plan, which outlines a series of commitments and targets to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and increase opportunities across the game.

As part of this month’s No Room For Racism activity, a film has been created to showcase the importance of diversity on the pitch and how that has played such a pivotal role in the Premier League era, with players from 121 different nations represented since 1992.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “Football is a global game which brings together communities and cultures, uniting people of all backgrounds. There is no doubt that this diversity has helped make the Premier League what it is and we are committed to ensuring this is reflected across all areas of the game.

“Through our No Room For Racism Action Plan, we are working hard to increase opportunities for people from under-represented groups within football, which includes the development of enhanced coaching and executive pathways.

“We have seen unacceptable incidents of racist abuse targeted at players all too frequently this season, both online and within stadiums, and we will not stop in the fight against racism. Everybody has a role to play to ensure football is inclusive for all, and together we can make it clear there is no room for racism or any form of discrimination.”