Scots rugby yobs fined
MEN HURLED ‘VILE’ ABUSE AT ENGLAND COACH AT RAILWAY STATION
THREE drunk Scotland fans who shouted ‘vile’ abuse at England rugby coach Eddie Jones have been slammed by magistrates for their ‘disgraceful’ behaviour.
The trio started ‘almost hounding’ Mr Jones after bumping into him at Manchester’s Oxford Road railway station the day after their side defeated England in rugby union’s Six Nations competition, a court heard.
Magistrates were told Ritchie Cleeton, 22, Connor Inglis, 25 and Brett Grant, 23, all from Edinburgh, were part of a group who initially asked Mr Jones for a photo on the approach to the station on February 25 – the morning after his side lost 25-13 to the Scots in the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield.
They then became abusive and Mr Jones was called ‘a baldy ****’ on more than one occasion, Carl Miles, prosecuting on behalf of British Transport Police, said.
As he was led away, members of the group continued ‘chanting, singing and swearing,’ with Grant said to have opened the door of the car Mr Jones had climbed into as someone repeated the ‘vile’ insults.
The men claimed Mr Jones made an abusive comment to them after they ‘ribbed’ him about the defeat the night before – and said that was what caused the situation to escalate.
Cleeton, Inglis and Grant all pleaded guilty to a public order offence of using threatening or abusive words/behaviour or disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, for which the maximum sentence is a fine.
Matthew Wallace, defending the three men, said Mr Jones had ‘gone out of his way to upset fans of other rugby playing nations’ and said he would have come to expect ‘banter.’
He said: “I think it’s also fair to say he’s somewhat of a divisive character. There are people in the public eye who this type of incident wouldn’t have happened to.
“He’s someone who has gone out of his way to upset fans of other rugby playing nations.
“There was a response from Mr Jones and they say that response was abusive to one of their number and that’s what caused it to escalate.
“Once he decided to walk off their behaviour clearly got out of hand.
“But there was nothing threatening about their conduct. It was all stand-offish. No one is trying to hit him or manhandle him. It was always verbal and meant to be verbal.”
Cleeton, of Carrick Knowe Avenue, was ordered to pay fines and costs of £235. Inglis, of Cornhill Terrace, received a fine and costs of £220. Grant, of Drum Crescent, was given a total financial penalty of £255.
Sentencing the three men, chairman of the bench Joe Bangudu told them: “This was a short-lived, but disgraceful incident. Your language has been described by your defence as industrial.
“We don’t think it industrial. We think it was vile. Probably the vilest we have heard so far.
“You have shown no remorse at all which is a concern to us.”