Man spared jail over racist emoji on Jadon Sancho's Instagram after Euro 2020 final

25.07.2022 - 16:15 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

A man who posted a racist emoji on England player Jadon Sancho's Instagram account following the Euro 2020 final has avoided jail. Sancho, fellow Manchester United star Marcus Rashford and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka received a barrage of abuse on social media after they missed penalties in the shootout defeat to Italy at Wembley Stadium on July 11 last year.

The incident prompted a public outcry and fuelled wider debate amid moves by the Government to protect users from harmful online content. Jerry Garcia-Lorca Roj-Oz, from Abbey Wood, south-east London, posted a monkey emoji underneath one of Sancho's photos shortly after the match, Bexley Magistrates’ Court heard.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty earlier this month to sending a grossly offensive, indecent or obscene character. During his sentencing on Monday, prosecutor Denise Clewes said: "This is a matter where a racially abusive message was sent to a member of the England national football team following the team’s defeat in the European Championships in the penalties.

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"In the match, the players who had been unsuccessful with the penalties they had taken were subjected to a torrent of racist abuse on social media." Ms Clewes said Roj-Oz had been drinking when he published the emoji in the comments under one of Sancho's posts.

She said that while Sancho had not given an impact statement to the court, 'it was widely publicised at the time in the media the effect that it had on the players'. Ms Clewes also paraphrased a statement from Edleen John, a co-partner for equality, diversity and inclusion at the Football Association, who said the