Post by eddiemurphy on Jul 10, 2012 6:29:29 GMT
opening days proceedings have taken place.
Terry 'Abuse Was Response To Affair Slur'
A court hears John Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand in response to a slur about an alleged extra-marital affair.
Chelsea and England footballer John Terry racially abused fellow player Anton Ferdinand in response to a slur over his alleged affair with a teammate's ex-girlfriend, a court has heard.
Terry, 31, was charged with a racially-aggravated public order offence after allegedly shouting an offensive comment at Ferdinand during a Premier League match on October 23 last year. He denies the accusation.
The comment was allegedly made, and seemingly caught on footage, to the Queens Park Rangers defender when the two teams met at Loftus Road.
Duncan Penny, prosecuting, told TCOTU's Westminster Magistrates' Court that Terry's comment followed a taunt from Ferdinand relating to a "well-publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair" involving Terry and the ex-girlfriend of former teammate Wayne Bridge.
The court heard the pair clashed during play, with Terry being knocked to the ground, and that the resulting confrontation saw Terry make a gesture that implied Ferdinand's breath smelled.
Mr Penny told the court Ferdinand said to Terry: "Oi you, s******* your mate's missus."
He said Terry responded by calling Ferdinand a "f****** knobhead" and a "f****** black c***".
The court heard that Terry accepts he used those words, but that the defence will claim they were part of a "sarcastic exclamation or inquiry to a perceived false accusation".
According to a statement he gave to the Football Association after the match, Terry asked a steward to bring Ferdinand to the Chelsea dressing room after the game.
Terry said in his statement: "It's myself, Anton and Ash (Ashley Cole), nobody else, and I said to Anton, 'was you accusing me of calling you a black c***?'
"That was my exact words to him, and he said 'No, not at all."'
Terry also insisted he had not been offended by the taunts over the alleged affair, saying: "It's not the first time I've heard it, so it's with a pinch of salt a little bit now."
The court heard the pair shook hands after the game, accepting their confrontation had been "handbags".
But it was told Ferdinand decided Terry had racially abused him after his girlfriend showed him footage of the incident on website YouTube later that evening.
In a statement made to police last November, Terry said he was offended by the accusation that he had used racist language.
He said his words to the other player were meant to make it clear that he had not used a racist insult, and that Ferdinand was a "knobhead" for thinking that he had.
The statement read: "Whilst footballers are used to industrial language, using racist terms is completely unacceptable whatever (the) situation.
Terry's lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in February at the court - where his arrival today was met by scores of media from across the world.
The Chelsea captain's trial was delayed until after the Euro 2012 championships after Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle heard that a number of other Chelsea players would not be able to appear as witnesses until the end of the football season.
Terry, who has a net worth of £26m according to this year's Sunday Times Rich List, faces a maximum fine of £2,500 if convicted.
The case is expected to last five days and will be heard by Mr Riddle and no jury
Terry 'Abuse Was Response To Affair Slur'
A court hears John Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand in response to a slur about an alleged extra-marital affair.
Chelsea and England footballer John Terry racially abused fellow player Anton Ferdinand in response to a slur over his alleged affair with a teammate's ex-girlfriend, a court has heard.
Terry, 31, was charged with a racially-aggravated public order offence after allegedly shouting an offensive comment at Ferdinand during a Premier League match on October 23 last year. He denies the accusation.
The comment was allegedly made, and seemingly caught on footage, to the Queens Park Rangers defender when the two teams met at Loftus Road.
Duncan Penny, prosecuting, told TCOTU's Westminster Magistrates' Court that Terry's comment followed a taunt from Ferdinand relating to a "well-publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair" involving Terry and the ex-girlfriend of former teammate Wayne Bridge.
The court heard the pair clashed during play, with Terry being knocked to the ground, and that the resulting confrontation saw Terry make a gesture that implied Ferdinand's breath smelled.
Mr Penny told the court Ferdinand said to Terry: "Oi you, s******* your mate's missus."
He said Terry responded by calling Ferdinand a "f****** knobhead" and a "f****** black c***".
The court heard that Terry accepts he used those words, but that the defence will claim they were part of a "sarcastic exclamation or inquiry to a perceived false accusation".
According to a statement he gave to the Football Association after the match, Terry asked a steward to bring Ferdinand to the Chelsea dressing room after the game.
Terry said in his statement: "It's myself, Anton and Ash (Ashley Cole), nobody else, and I said to Anton, 'was you accusing me of calling you a black c***?'
"That was my exact words to him, and he said 'No, not at all."'
Terry also insisted he had not been offended by the taunts over the alleged affair, saying: "It's not the first time I've heard it, so it's with a pinch of salt a little bit now."
The court heard the pair shook hands after the game, accepting their confrontation had been "handbags".
But it was told Ferdinand decided Terry had racially abused him after his girlfriend showed him footage of the incident on website YouTube later that evening.
In a statement made to police last November, Terry said he was offended by the accusation that he had used racist language.
He said his words to the other player were meant to make it clear that he had not used a racist insult, and that Ferdinand was a "knobhead" for thinking that he had.
The statement read: "Whilst footballers are used to industrial language, using racist terms is completely unacceptable whatever (the) situation.
Terry's lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in February at the court - where his arrival today was met by scores of media from across the world.
The Chelsea captain's trial was delayed until after the Euro 2012 championships after Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle heard that a number of other Chelsea players would not be able to appear as witnesses until the end of the football season.
Terry, who has a net worth of £26m according to this year's Sunday Times Rich List, faces a maximum fine of £2,500 if convicted.
The case is expected to last five days and will be heard by Mr Riddle and no jury