R v Terry
| R v John Terry | |
|---|---|
 John Terry (pictured) was found not guilty by Westminster Magistrates' Court | |
| Court | Westminster Magistrates' Court |
| Full case name | R v John Terry |
| Decided | 13 July 2012 |
| Case history | |
| Prior action(s) | None |
| Court membership | |
| Judge(s) sitting | Howard Riddle (Chief Magistrate) |
R v John Terry was a 2012 English criminal law case in which the Premiership footballer John Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers footballer Anton Ferdinand in a football match between Chelsea and QPR on 23 October 2011.[1] The case received a high level of media coverage in the United Kingdom as the allegations of racism had several repercussions within football including John Terry losing the captaincy of the England football team and then England coach Fabio Capello quitting as manager when the Football Association made this decision.
Trial
John Terry was represented by George Carter-Stephenson QC.
Judgment
Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle concluded that while there was not doubt that John Terry had uttered the words "fucking black cunt" at Anton Ferdinand, it is possible that this was not intended as an insult but as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him.[1]
Aftermath
Despite being found not guilty in a court of law, the Football Association decided to hold an inquiry independent of the court case. This led to John Terry retiring from international football. The FA inquiry found Terry guilty of racial abuse and saw him handed a four match domestic ban.[2][3]
See also
- John Terry (previously 'LNS') v Persons Unknown, a separate legal action also involving John Terry
- Luis Suárez racial abuse incident, another racial abuse incident that occurred around the same time
References
- 1 2 "REGINA V JOHN TERRY: JUDGMENT" (PDF). Judiciary of England and Wales. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ "RULING OF THE FULL REGULATORY COMMISSION FOLLOWING THE SUBSTANTIVE DISCIPLINARY HEARING HELD BETWEEN 24TH AND 27TH SEPTEMBER 2012". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ↑ "John Terry banned and fined by FA over Anton Ferdinand incident". BBC Sport. 27 September 2012.