A racist football thug – thrown off a tube train with his rowdy pals after traveling to London for a Chelsea match – dodged a banning order, but was fined £130 on Monday.
Barman Christopher English, 27, of West Street, Havant, Portsmouth, had earlier spent a weekend behind bars after failing to turn up for his trial at City of London Magistrates’ Court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He denied, but was convicted in his absence of racially aggravated threatening behaviour at Charing Cross Underground Station (pictured) on August 31, last year.
The court heard English and two pals had traveled to the capital for the Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur match with the defendant downing eight pints of beer and two bottles of Smirnoff Ice.
The trio enjoyed a drinking session in Leicester Square, but caused a disturbance on the Southbound Bakerloo Line when play fighting and wrestling with each other.
Prosecutor Miss Tertia Mackesy told JP’s the group refused a member of staff’s request to leave the station and boarded a tube train.
They were persuaded to leave the carriage after the driver refused to depart, but they followed the staff member, hurling abuse with English – sporting a Chelsea top - the ringleader.
“He was being held back by his two friends,” added Miss Mackesy. “He was shouting ‘you c***. Why are you chucking me off the train?”
English then screamed at the member of staff: “Fuck off. Why are you interfering, you paki?”
The three friends were all arrested and English’s pals were later released without charge.
“My behaviour was not acceptable, due to being drunk, but I don’t admit the racist allegation. I am not a racist,” English told the court.
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped an application to impose a football banning order on English because of the lapse of time and various journeys he made after the match.
He was also ordered to pay £165 costs.
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