A person says he’s “ashamed” of his behaviour as he apologised in court docket for racially abusing Brentford striker Ivan Toney on Twitter.
Antonio Neill admitted a cost of sending an offensive message at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
After the choose instructed the 24-year-old defendant he would wish to return for sentencing, Neill mentioned he was “disgusted” and “sorry” for what he had completed and needed to “become a better person”.
Police launched an investigation final October after Toney, 26, shared a picture of an abusive message he had acquired on his Twitter account.
Officers handled the incident as a hate crime and traced the message to an handle in North Shields, North Tyneside.
While the message was not learn out in court docket, District Judge Paul Currer described it as “exceptionally offensive” and mentioned it contained “racial overtones”.
He added that he thought-about the matter to be “very serious” and adjourned sentencing till a separate, violent offence has been handled on the crown court docket.
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Earlier, the defence had instructed the magistrates’ court docket that Neill was “extremely remorseful” and had been consuming a “significant amount” of alcohol on the time.
The court docket additionally heard he was residing away from his household on the time, bailed to an space the place he didn’t know individuals, and “behaved in a way he would never dream of acting”.
Neill’s household had tried to increase an apology to Brentford even earlier than the police turned concerned.
He is because of return to court docket for sentencing on 30 March.
Source: information.sky.com”