Fife man fined over racist gestures

A Fife chef who repeatedly made racist gestures at Falkirk FC winger Myles Hippolyte was fined £450 yesterday.

Dunfermline fan Robert Nellies was attending a Scottish Challenge Cup clash between the Pars and the Bairns at Falkirk Stadium on October 7 last year when the incidents occurred.

Prosecutor Michael Maguire told Falkirk Sheriff Court that Nellies, 35, was in the stand with his nephew.

Mr Maguire said: “He was seen by several witnesses making monkey gestures on five or six occasions.

“This appeared to be directed towards one of the Falkirk players, who is of Grenadian descent.”

Mr Maguire said that shortly after this, Hippolyte scored a 59th minute goal.

Falkirk went on to win 2-0, and Nellies was arrested before he could leave the ground.

Mr Maguire, the depute fiscal, added: “He provided some admissions during interview and apologised to the police for his behaviour.”

Father-of-three Nellies, a first offender, of Gellatly Road, Dunfermline, pleaded guilty to committing a racially-aggravated breach of the peace.

Solicitor-advocate Neil Hay, defending, said Nellies had already had to answer to his partner for his actions, about which she was “disgusted”.

Mr Hay said: “It’s always difficult to find mitigation for circumstances like these.

“Mr Nellies was thoroughly carried away.

“At the time he thought he was just being immature, but it could have caused offence had the player known about it.”

He said Nellies earned £1,000 a month as a chef, and had the means to pay a financial penalty.

Imposing the fine, Sheriff Michael Fletcher said the danger of such behaviour was that it could encourage others, leading to “things getting completely out of control”.

He added: “I hope you now realise how silly this was.”

Nellies left court with his partner without commenting to a reporter.

Myles Hippolyte is something of a cult hero at Falkirk, with a local chip shop offering a Hippolyte Haggis.

He joined Falkirk from Livingston FC for an undisclosed fee in 2016.

Dunfermline FC fan Robert Nellies was fined £450 after making monkey gestures towards a Falkirk player on a number of occasions.