Terry cleared of racism charges
Source: Agencies |
July 14, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHELSEA captain John Terry was cleared yesterday of racially abusing an opponent during a Premier League match after one of the most high-profile trials involving a footballer.
After hearing four days of evidence at a London court, chief magistrate Howard Riddle was not convinced that Terry had committed a racially aggravated public order offense in a confrontation with Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand during the match in October. Terry's legal team said in a statement: "He did not racially abuse Mr. Ferdinand and the court has accepted this."
Terry maintained he only used an offensive term sarcastically to counter the obscenity he claims Ferdinand was accusing him of using. It followed Ferdinand goading Terry about an alleged extramarital affair with then-England teammate Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend. And Riddle was persuaded by the defense claim that Terry could have misheard "Bridge" as "black," prompting his belief that a claim of racism was being wrongly claimed.
"It is highly unlikely that Mr. Ferdinand accused Mr. Terry on the pitch of calling him a black (expletive)," Riddle wrote in his judgment. "However I accept that it is possible that Mr. Terry believed at the time, and believes now, that such an accusation was made.
"The prosecution evidence as to what was said by Mr. Ferdinand at this point is not strong. Mr. (Ashley) Cole (the Chelsea defender) gives corroborating (although far from compelling corroborating) evidence on this point. It is therefore possible that what he said was not intended as an insult, but rather as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him."
There were cheers in Court One at Westminster Magistrates' Court from members of Terry's family after the verdict.
"We are pleased that John can now put his mind to football and go back to training and do what he's done for many years," Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said yesterday.
Riddle said there was no evidence Terry has lied and called him a "credible witness."
"The lip readers do not provide evidence that categorically contradicts his account," he said of the incident that spread on YouTube after the game. "What may at first sight have seemed clear to the non-expert, is less clear now. There are limitations to lip reading, even by an expert. I have assessed John Terry as a credible witness."
Ferdinand had been reluctant to pursue a criminal case, which was prompted by an off-duty police officer making the complaint. The case led to Terry being stripped of the England captaincy and the departure of coach Fabio Capello who disagreed with the decision.
After hearing four days of evidence at a London court, chief magistrate Howard Riddle was not convinced that Terry had committed a racially aggravated public order offense in a confrontation with Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand during the match in October. Terry's legal team said in a statement: "He did not racially abuse Mr. Ferdinand and the court has accepted this."
Terry maintained he only used an offensive term sarcastically to counter the obscenity he claims Ferdinand was accusing him of using. It followed Ferdinand goading Terry about an alleged extramarital affair with then-England teammate Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend. And Riddle was persuaded by the defense claim that Terry could have misheard "Bridge" as "black," prompting his belief that a claim of racism was being wrongly claimed.
"It is highly unlikely that Mr. Ferdinand accused Mr. Terry on the pitch of calling him a black (expletive)," Riddle wrote in his judgment. "However I accept that it is possible that Mr. Terry believed at the time, and believes now, that such an accusation was made.
"The prosecution evidence as to what was said by Mr. Ferdinand at this point is not strong. Mr. (Ashley) Cole (the Chelsea defender) gives corroborating (although far from compelling corroborating) evidence on this point. It is therefore possible that what he said was not intended as an insult, but rather as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him."
There were cheers in Court One at Westminster Magistrates' Court from members of Terry's family after the verdict.
"We are pleased that John can now put his mind to football and go back to training and do what he's done for many years," Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said yesterday.
Riddle said there was no evidence Terry has lied and called him a "credible witness."
"The lip readers do not provide evidence that categorically contradicts his account," he said of the incident that spread on YouTube after the game. "What may at first sight have seemed clear to the non-expert, is less clear now. There are limitations to lip reading, even by an expert. I have assessed John Terry as a credible witness."
Ferdinand had been reluctant to pursue a criminal case, which was prompted by an off-duty police officer making the complaint. The case led to Terry being stripped of the England captaincy and the departure of coach Fabio Capello who disagreed with the decision.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
