Four Men Convicted for Homophobic Abuse at West Ham Match
Four men have been slapped with fines and football bans after Met Police cracked down on homophobic abuse at a West Ham United game.
Homophobic Shouts at London Stadium
At the West Ham versus Brighton & Hove Albion clash on 1 February 2020, police received reports of several men hurling homophobic slurs and making offensive gestures towards visiting supporters inside London Stadium.
Two men were arrested on the spot during the game.
Guilty Pleas and Fines for Two Fans
Thomas Hill, 25, from Slough, and Samuel Marshall, 21, of Hornchurch, pleaded guilty on 3 September at Thames Magistrates’ Court. Both were fined £200 plus costs under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
Further Convictions and Banning Orders
The probe continued, leading to two more men being summonsed. On 30 September, Damian Critten, 24, from Rainham, and Jack Wood, 25, of London, pleaded guilty to the same offence. They were fined £120 each and handed three-year football banning orders.
Zero Tolerance from the Met
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 despicable offences, please share it with police. These offenders may support your team, but they do not deserve your support.”
