A man who racially abuses Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been banned from attending regulated football matches in the UK. This is the first such banning order issued under new legislation introduced last year.
Neill, 24, from Blyth in Northumberland, was given a four-month suspended sentence and three-year stadium ban – the first such sanction of its kind under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
Antonio Neill sent a racist message to Toney
In October last year, Brentford striker Toney posted a picture of an offensive message sent to him online. Following this development, police launched an investigation and traced the message back to a man from Blyth in north-east England who ultimately pleaded guilty to it.
He was then given a four-month suspended sentence and a three-year football banning order – the first of its kind under new legislation introduced last year to broaden the scope of bans that can be imposed for online hate crimes related to football.
Brentford FC issued a statement expressing their delight at the resolution of their case with Northumbria Police, noting their determination to pursue justice for all parties involved. Additionally, they called for tough measures to be taken against anyone found guilty of racist abuse and encouraged social media companies to make their platforms safe for all users by eliminating all hateful content.
Northumbria Police investigated
On October 14th, police responded quickly to a report of online racist abuse directed at Toney. This message had been shared on Toney’s Instagram account, and an investigation was initiated into the matter.
The Premier League, working in collaboration with Northumbria Police and the player, took this matter seriously and conducted an investigation.
Officers then tracked the suspect to Blyth, Northumberland, where they arrested him on suspicion of sending a racist message.
On Monday at Newcastle Magistrates Court, a banning order was issued. This is the first-ever ban issued under the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022 and prohibits Neill from attending any matches in England’s top five tiers and home or away matches.
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Neill pleaded guilty
On October 14th of last year, Antonio Neill from Blyth in Northumberland sent Ivan Toney the following racist abuse on social media. As a result, Toney has now been barred from all stadiums across England.
Toney shared the abuse on Instagram, prompting an investigation by Northumbria Police and the Metropolitan Police. In January 2019, Neill appeared before magistrates in Newcastle, where he pleaded guilty to the offense.
He was then issued a four-month suspended sentence and a three-year football banning order – the first order issued under new legislation for online hate crimes last year. Superintendent Scott Cowie, Northumbria Police’s hate crime lead, declared: “Discrimination has no place in our society, whether it takes place offline or online.”
Neill was handed a four-month suspension sentence
British Police have issued a landmark ruling banning Ivan Toney’s racist abuser from attending all regulated football matches in the UK after 24-year-old Neill sent Toney an offensive message on October 14 last year that was shared on his Instagram account.
Northumbria Police, assisted by the Metropolitan Police, launched an investigation and located suspect Neill at his residence in Blyth, Northumberland.
On Monday, Neill was sentenced to a four-month suspended sentence and a three-year banning order for online hate crimes. This ban marks the first such order issued under new legislation passed last year that expanded the scope of banning orders related to such offenses.
Superintendent Scott Cowie, Northumbria Police’s hate crime lead, stated: “Discrimination has no place in our society – whether it occurs offline or online. The banning order sends a strong message that this type of abuse is unacceptable and officers can identify those responsibly.”
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Neill was banned from attending regulated football matches
The club confirmed Neill received the ban after sending racist messages to Toney via his Instagram account in October last year. The striker shared screenshots of the abuse with the public, and police launched an investigation.
In January, Neill entered a plea of guilty to sending an offensive message.
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