Arsenal fan claimed racial abuse of Thomas Partey was a 'joke' as court hands out three-year ban

An Arsenal supporter has been handed a three-year football banning order for racially abusing midfielder Thomas Partey, despite his defence that he was satirically imitating a white racist. Charles Ogunmilade, 28, had previously confessed to posting a "grossly offensive" message on X, formerly known as Twitter, criticising the Gunners player for missing a goal during the team’s 3-3 draw with Southampton on April 21 last year.

After Partey sent a shot over the crossbar, Ogunmilade posted: "Nah, when Partey skied that shot I actually screamed you dirty black (swear word)."

Prosecutor Suleman Hussain said the post was reported to the police. When officers arrived at his home, Ogunmilade appeared "dumbfounded".

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The prosecutor added that Ogunmilade told the police that the post was meant to be a sarcastic quote within a group of friends. "He said the group would mimic what a white racist would say," he explained.

Ogunmilade, who is of Nigerian descent, represented himself in court. In mitigation, he told the court that he and his friends had been affected by the racism directed at England’s black players after the team’s loss in the Euro 2020 final.

"Our coping mechanism was to make fun of it, to limit the power these people have over you," he stated.

He expressed concerns about the implications of a banning order, which would compel him to hand over his passport to the police whenever England had an away match. This could significantly affect both his career opportunities, especially travel to the US, and his ability to visit relatives in Nigeria.

"I am not a racist person," he asserted. Magistrate Shaoni Myer noted the panel considered Ogunmilade's early guilty plea, his untarnished record, personal circumstances, experiences with racism, and his satirical intention behind the post.

Consequently, he received a fine of £125, a surcharge of £50, and was ordered to contribute £85 towards prosecution costs. She conveyed the court's limited options stating, "We really have no choice," and concluded, "Giving you a conditional discharge would not be appropriate."