A 60-year-old man has received a suspended prison sentence for sending racist and misogynistic messages about England international Jess Carter during last summer's European Championship. Nigel Dewale, of Great Harwood in Lancashire, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Blackburn magistrates court.
Dewale pleaded guilty to sending malicious communications on TikTok, having been identified as the author of two posts containing offensive language. Alongside the suspended sentence, he was handed a four-year football banning order and ordered to complete a 10-day rehabilitation programme.
Mike Ankers, deputy director of the UK Football Policing Unit, welcomed the outcome and praised Carter and her fellow Lionesses for standing up to online abuse. “I think today's sentencing is hugely significant,” he said. “It sends out a clear message and reflects how seriously now the courts are starting to take online hate speech. It is testament to Jess and the wider squad, and brings closure.”
District judge Tony Watkin told Dewale he had “come very close indeed” to imposing an immediate jail term, but took into account the impact on his 20-year-old daughter, who has epilepsy, and the defendant's “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”. Watkin said Dewale had targeted Carter “for no other reason than she was a prominent, female footballer”, and that the abuse caused “substantial distress and fear” to the victim.
Dewale himself said he had been “in drink” when he posted the messages. Ankers also highlighted concerns about underreporting of online abuse, calling for social media companies to be legally required to share identifying information of suspected offenders, and arguing that the use of VPNs to hide identity should be treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing.
