A man has admitted in court to sending racist and hateful social media messages to England and Chelsea defender Jess Carter during last summer's Women's European Championship.
Guilty Plea Entered in Court
Nigel Dewale, of Prospect Street in Great Harwood, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to one count of malicious communications and possession of a weapon in a private place at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on Friday, 9 January 2026. The charges stem from an investigation launched by the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) in July 2025 into abuse directed at the Lionesses star.
Investigation and Arrest
Detectives traced a series of offensive messages to Dewale's home address. This led to his arrest on 28 August 2025 and subsequent charging. Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the football policing lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council, condemned the actions. "Everyone is responsible for what they do and say, and posting a message on social media is no different," he stated.
Roberts emphasised that Dewale had sent "hateful and malicious messages, thinking that he would be able to hide behind his account name." He described the comments as "totally abhorrent" and confirmed they caused significant emotional distress to Carter and her family.
Impact on the Player and Next Steps
Jess Carter had spoken publicly to ITV News about the profound effect the online abuse had on her. "It makes you feel really small," she revealed. "It makes you feel like you're not important, that you're not valuable. It makes you second guess everything that you do." Carter added that the experience damaged her confidence on the pitch and left her family devastated.
Chief Constable Roberts reinforced a clear warning to others: "We have been clear that hate crime online or in person, is not acceptable and as we have shown in this case, you cannot hide behind a social media profile to post vile comments and spread hate."
Nigel Dewale is now due to be sentenced on 25 March 2026 at the same magistrates' court in Blackburn.
