Four men convicted over homophobic abuse at West Ham match! The Met Police have cracked down on vile behaviour during the West Ham vs Brighton game at London Stadium.
Shocking homophobic slurs heard at East London stadium
On 1 February 2020, officers launched an investigation after reports emerged of several men shouting homophobic comments and making hateful gestures towards visiting Brighton fans. The ugly scenes prompted immediate police action at the London Stadium.
Two arrested on match day
Thomas Hill, 25, from Slough, and Samuel Marshall, 21, from Hornchurch, were arrested during the fixture. Both appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 3 September where they admitted offences under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. Each was fined £200 plus costs.
Two more men face justice
The probe continued, resulting in two further men being summonsed. On 30 September, Damian Critten, 24, of Rainham, and Jack Wood, 25, from London, pleaded guilty to the same offence. They each received £120 fines and three-year football banning orders.
Met warns: homophobia won’t be tolerated
Chief Inspector Chris Green of Met Operations said: “This investigation and these convictions show that we will not tolerate homophobic behaviour or hate crime at football matches and more broadly in our city. “If you have information about people committing these type of despicable offences, please share that information with police. These offenders may happen to support the same football team as you, but they do not deserve your support.”
