Four men have been convicted over homophobic abuse at a West Ham match. The Metropolitan Police have taken strong action against vile behaviour during the West Ham versus Brighton game held at London Stadium.
On 1 February 2020, officers launched an investigation after reports surfaced of several men shouting homophobic comments and making hateful gestures towards visiting Brighton fans. The disturbing incidents prompted immediate police intervention at the East London stadium.
Two men were arrested on the day of the match. Thomas Hill, 25, from Slough, and Samuel Marshall, 21, from Hornchurch, were detained during the fixture. Both appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 3 September where they admitted offences under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. Each was fined £200 plus costs.
The investigation continued, leading to two additional men being summonsed. On 30 September, Damian Critten, 24, of Rainham, and Jack Wood, 25, from London, pleaded guilty to the same offence. They each received £120 fines and were issued with three-year football banning orders.
Chief Inspector Chris Green of Met Operations stated: “This investigation and these convictions show that we will not tolerate homophobic behaviour or hate crime at football matches and more broadly in our city. If you have information about people committing these type of despicable offences, please share that information with police. These offenders may happen to support the same football team as you, but they do not deserve your support.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
