Spurs fan may sue police after Sol abuse conviction quashed

Published Date:
14 September 2009

By Gareth BethellA football fan who had his conviction for abusing Sol Campbell quashed says he may sue Portsmouth police.

Ian Trow, 42, and a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, both had their convictions overturned at Portsmouth Crown Court.

They had previously been found guilty of indecent chanting at the former Pompey defender during Spurs' visit to Fratton Park on September 28 last year.

But Judge Ian Price decided the pair had no case to answer after hearing the evidence.

Outside court, Mr Trow, of Kingshill Drive, Milton Keynes, said: 'I'm looking at a civil case against the police after this.

'It's a relief that it's been thrown out but it should never, ever have got this far.

'The initial decision was just disgraceful and I'm glad that in the end justice has been done.'

Campbell, who has been a hate figure for Spurs since he left the club for their North London rivals Arsenal in 2001, said at the time that he felt 'absolutely disgusted' by the homophobic chanting and abuse he endured.

Mr Trow and the teenage boy were given three-year football banning orders at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court in May for allegedly shouting 'gay boy'.

Trow was also fined £500 and ordered to pay £415 while the boy was ordered to pay £400 costs.

But barrister Stephen Parish told the court the cases should be thrown out for two reasons.

'The first is that this court can't be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that either of these two was using the words "gay boy" at all.

'And secondly even if you are so satisfied, those words do not constitute indecent chanting,' he said.

After watching police footage of the incident, Judge Price said: 'We can hear the crowd, we can hear the words ''gay boy''.

'We can't be sure that those words came from Mr Trow's mouth, we can't be sure that those words came from the boy's mouth.

'Even if they did come from either or both mouths it was a very brief intervention indeed and we can't be sure that what they did would be sufficient to be properly described as engaging or taking part in chanting.'

The judge overturned the convictions and quashed the sentences.

BANNING ORDERS AND CAUTIONS

Five Tottenham Hotspur fans were given cautions for their part in the abuse while four others pleaded guilty to indecent chanting.

Two 15-year-olds were cautioned after admitting hurling abuse at Sol Campbell along with Joe Turner, 18, of The Lindons, Basildon, Dean Nelson, 23, and Bradley Barnes, 35, both of Malmesbury Park Road, Bournemouth.

Four others were given three-year banning orders and fined £370 when they pleaded guilty to the offence in January.

They were Oliver Silvester, 28, from Southampton, Stuart Turner, 34, from Shropshire, Richard Gibbs, 36, of Wokingham and Keith Stevens, 54, of Hailsham, East Sussex.

source: www.portsmouth.co.uk