Andrew Bone took to Twitter to use a racist slur after England lost the Euros 2021 final over a shoot-out, in which Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho missed penalties against Italy
An ex-estate agent cried in the dock as he was jailed for a vile tweet targeting Black England players in the Euro 2021 final.
Shamed Andrew Bone used the N-word in his appalling post online after the final penalty shoot out between England and Italy at Wembley. It followed players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho missing penalties, which saw a torrid of racist abuse online.
Taking to Twitter (now X), Bone posted “n*****s ruined it for us”. Shocked users on the platform were able to find Bone’s LinkedIn profile, which showed he was an estate agent for the agency Savills at the time.
Bone, however, initially denied posting the tweet, making another post afterwards saying: “OMG I hadn’t said anything.” The 41-year-old from Sale, Greater Manchester, also claimed his account had been hacked.
But a police investigation costing £2,730 found that Bone had been at the same location as where the tweet was posted from at the time it was published, MEN reports, revealing his claims of being ‘hacked’ were a lie. Prosecuting, Andrew Heyes told Manchester magistrates court that Savills were tagged in a series of tweets asking if they employed racists.
The firm investigated the allegations, before later sacking Bone. A victim impact statement from the agency read in court said it had suffered damage to its brand and that the company “greatly appreciates the contribution and commitment of our diverse workforce.”
The court heard that Bone had no previous convictions, but had previously posted other tweets of a similar nature. On November 14, 2012, he posted: “If the black dude Tweets the N-word, can I RT the tweet? What the f*** is the protocol here?” In 2021, he posted: “F*** the Italian, Welsh, and Scottish, let’s build a bloody big wall.”
Defending, solicitor Michael Hogan said one had suffered ‘consequences’ in public for almost four years following the offence, and had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of sending the offending message. The court heard that Bone’s mother had also been ‘plagued’ by poison pen letters following the incident and that Bone was ‘absolutely terrified of being committed to prison’.
He said: “The actual tweet itself was sent when the defendant was in drink, no doubt wound up by some of the other people he was with, and then deleted. We would submit it was plainly out of character. He’s not a dyed in the wool racist.”
The court heard that Bone now works as a plasterer and takes home about £1,600 per month in pay, of which he is left with around £200 to £300 after outgoings. Mr Hogan added: “For somebody who operated a spreadsheet and sat behind a computer all day long to change tack in that way, in my submission shows the effort he’s making to lead a law-abiding life.”
Sentencing, deputy district judge Barnett said Bone’s Tweet was “clearly motivated by hostility based on race,” but added that “it was a single tweet that was deleted relatively quickly.” Bone wiped tears from his eyes as he was told he would not be going to prison.
He was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to undertake 15 rehabilitation activity days. He was also ordered to pay a total of £1,054, made up of a £154 victim surcharge, £400 in prosecution costs, and a £500 contribution to the police investigation.
Bosses at Savills had sacked Bone from a his job as a commercial building manager, the company previously said in a statement. He declined to speak outside court when approached by reporters.
Following the Euros final, politicians and public figures condemned the racist abuse directed towards England players following the match. Victim Jadon Sancho said “society needs to be better” following the tirade, saying hate would “never win”.
In a post on Twitter on July 12, 2021, the day following the match, Prince William said: “I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable.”
