A 60-year-old man who posted racist messages about England defender Jess Carter online has received a suspended jail sentence.
Nigel Dewale, of Great Harwood, Lancashire, sent two posts during Euro 2025 last summer from his TikTok account under the username Bogeyman.
He was sentenced at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court to six weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to sending a grossly offensive message via a public communications network.
Dewale was "in drink” at home when he responded to a news article about police investigating online racial abuse earlier received by Carter following England’s matches against France and Sweden at the tournament.
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He wrote: "Women’s football is diabolical. Should not be on national TV.
"Brownies are racist murders (sic), fiddlers and groomers. End ov (sic).”
He went on: “Racist card again. Always brownies faking.
"This women’s football should not be on TV. Waste of airtime."
A man who posted racist messages about England defender Jess Carter online has received a suspended jail sentence
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The messages were later traced to Dewale, who was arrested and charged.
Carter, 28, who plays for US team Gotham FC, was part of the Lionesses squad that went on to successfully defend their title at the tournament in Switzerland.
The defender was a cornerstone of the Lionesses' defence throughout the tournament.
She featured in all six of England's matches, starting in the final against Spain.
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Carter went public about the abuse and announced she would step back from social media to protect her mental health
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Following the quarter-final against Sweden, where research showed she was the most targeted England player, Carter went public about the abuse and announced she would step back from social media to protect her mental health.
Carter told BBC Sport: "I didn't want to leave the hotel in case those people who were saying those things where going to be in Switzerland with us."
"It was quite a scary time. It totally devalues you as a human being."
In a show of solidarity, the Lionesses decided to stop the anti-racism gesture of taking a knee.
Carter won both the Euro 2025 and the NWSL Championship later that year
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They argued that "football needs to find another way to tackle racism" after the gesture failed to protect their teammate.
Carter won both the Euro 2025 and the NWSL Championship later that year, becoming the first player to win both competitions in the same calendar year.
Following the sentence, Carter added: "What I have learned from all of this is, the criteria for what the police class as going over the line versus what some social media companies believe has crossed the line is a little bit different.
"Where the police might want to interfere and do something about it, if social media companies aren't willing to give up that information, or if they don't feel like it's breached their criteria, then the police can't do anything about it.
"The police and social media companies can work together a little bit more to be on the same page there."
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