A teenager who posted a racist tweet about World Cup commentator Eni Aluko has been given a stern warning from a sheriff about his “totally unacceptable behaviour”.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suggested that the former England and Chelsea footballer had been brought “back from the jungle” by co-presenter and I’m A Celebrity winner Jill Scott.
The sports stars were speaking from the sidelines during England’s quarter-final clash with France when the pupil – who was 16 at the time – made the grossly offensive remark, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The Inverurie boy also posted an orangutan emoji to accompany the tweet.
Fiscal depute Ryan Diamond said the tweet was posted on December 10 last year.
“Two of the presenting team pitch side were former women’s England players Jill Scott and Eni Aluko,” he said.
“Jill Scott had recently returned from Australia where she had won I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
“Jill Scott is a white female and Eni Aluko is a black female.”
Tweet featured orangutan emoji
The school pupil’s post read: “Jill Scott brought a souvenir back from the jungle. Ugly b******”.
Those words were followed by an orangutan emoji and a photo of the two women taken while they were on the television.
The matter was reported to the police and the boy was traced at home the following month.
At Kittybrewster police station he allowed officers access to his mobile phone and Twitter account before he was cautioned and charged.
He admitted sharing a grossly offensive racist comment online.
Defence agent Ross Taggart said the pupil fears the conviction may scupper his dream of joining the Royal Navy.
‘That joke was, of course, racist’
“This was an unfortunate joke that was put on Twitter,” the solicitor said. “He was with a number of his friends and they had partaken some lager during the game.
“He got it into his head that it was a joke. That joke was, of course, racist because it involved a suggestion that Jill Scott, who had won the television programme I’m a Celebrity, had returned from the jungle in Australia and had taken home with her the black woman from the jungle.”
Mr Taggart said his young client “immediately regretted” the post.
He added: “He cannot explain why he did it, though. He had come up with a joke as far as he was concerned and the temptation to put it up was high.
“He only had four other followers on Twitter and they were all in the room at that time. They were all aware he was putting up the post.
“He is embarrassed and totally regrets this. It was a silly prank.”
Mr Taggart’s suggestion that an absolute discharge might be considered was immediately dismissed by Sheriff Phillip Mann, who interrupted the solicitor to say: “Absolutely not”.
‘The whole world is watching and sees what you are up to’
Sheriff Mann then turned to the teenager in the dock, telling him that social media is not a place where he can act without consequences.
“This was a really stupid thing to do and I hope you now realise that you cannot hide from the authorities,” he said.
“Young people today seem to think that they can do what they want on social media and that nobody knows what’s going on, but the whole world is watching and sees what you are up to.
“The sooner you realise that the better. Hopefully, this whole prosecution will be a salutary lesson for you and you will understand that you cannot act like this in future. The authorities, as you have found out, have ways and means of knowing this is taking place.
“They will do something about it and it’s brought to the court where the court will also do something about it.
“It’s totally unacceptable behaviour.”
He deferred sentence on the teenager, of Inverurie, for background reports to be prepared.
Before the nervous-looking teenager left the dock, the sheriff offered him some reassurance: “Lest you are worried about it, I would be surprised if this is going to end in a custodial sentence.”
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