A WOLVES fan has been banned from attending matches for four years after being found guilty of making a monkey gesture towards Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.
Dudley resident Josef Smith, 40, was also found to have spat at rival fans during the Premier League clubs’ meeting at Molineux in September.
Tammy Abraham scored a hat-trick in the September meeting between Chelsea and WolvesCredit: EPA
Josef Smith was found guilty of two public order offences, one of them racially aggravatedCredit: PA:Press Association
Charged with two public order offences, Smith denied both counts but was found guilty on Thursday after two witnesses provided evidence of the incident.
A fine of £1,450 was also handed out to the supporter.
In an interview with police in November, Smith said he was frustrated with his team’s performance during the 5-2 defeat but insisted a cold was to blame for the fluid that landed on two boys in the Bull Stand of Wolves’ stadium.
He also claimed he was making a “get back gesture” to players jumping on advertising boards in celebration.
But magistrate Arthur Wheldon deemed it a “deliberate racial gesture” following the witness statements.
One season ticket holder told Dudley Magistrates’ Court House, as quoted by Birmingham Live, that: “I noticed a gentleman stood up and curled his fists under his armpits in a chimp-like gesture.
“It certainly looked as if it was aimed towards the players on the pitch and goal scorer.”
Another stated: “I saw the defendant launching back and thrust forward and spit across two rows of seats, which subsequently fell down to the lower tier.
“I was astonished just how much came out of his mouth.”
Away fans sit in the lower-tier of the Bull Stand which Smith was sit in and he was ejected after the incident, at around 4pm on Saturday, September 14.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
