Romaine Sawyers: Man jailed for racially abusing West Brom player has appeals against conviction and sentence rejected
Simon Silwood has had his conviction and sentence appeals for racially abusing West Brom's Romaine Sawyers back in January rejected; the verdict at Wolverhampton Crown Court means Silwood will return to prison and serve the same penalty as stipulated in his original trial
Friday 5 November 2021 13:19, UK
Simon Silwood, who became the first supporter to be jailed in this country for racially abusing a footballer online, has had his appeals against his conviction and sentence rejected.
The verdict, delivered at Wolverhampton Crown Court, means 50-year-old Silwood, from the West Midlands, has been returned to prison by the appeal court judge and sentenced to exactly the same penalty as in his original trial - eight weeks imprisonment, four of which will be served on licence.
He has already served six days, so is set to serve another three weeks and one day.
The sentence came after a message was posted on social media on January 26, and directed at Sawyers - who is currently on loan at Stoke - after West Brom had lost 5-0 to Manchester City.
Judge Jonathan Gosling said in re-sentencing Silwood: "You, and others inclined to mete out racial abuse, must understand that right thinking people are repelled by it. We enjoy free speech in this country. To abuse it in the way we see here requires severe punishment.
"Only by that means can this scourge be addressed. Those who follow professional sport in this country have to witness a significant minority subjecting players to racist abuse both on the pitch and on social media.
"It causes, as it is calculated to do, serious offence and distress to the victims. The message you posted was despicable, and seen as such by all who had the misfortune to read it."
Silwood was ordered to pay £500 in compensation to the player and £500 in prosecution costs, with Sawyers subsequently pledging to donate his compensation to a local West Midlands charity, when the original sentence was handed down in September.
