This comes after an 18-year-old student was spared a criminal conviction after he admitted sending racist messages to football legend Ian Wright.
Ian Wright has said that he is “disappointed” after an Irish teenager was spared conviction for racially abusing him online last year.
A court case on Wednesday (3 February) saw Patrick O’Brein, an 18-year-old from Kerry, have the provisions of the Probation Act applied against him, after having previously pleaded guilty.
This means the case against O’Brien has been proven, but no conviction will be recorded against him.
The former Arsenal and England forward Ian Wright has responded to the news, saying that he is “disappointed” and “tired”.
He wrote: “I’ve seen today’s judgement and I’m disappointed.
“This case was never about revenge, it was always about consequences for acts of racism.
“My forgiveness of this young man was for my own deeply personal need and desire to move forward without further anguish. I’m a 57-year-old man that has experienced racism throughout my life. I wasn’t expecting my forgiveness to be an invitation to lighten a sentence.
“Seeing this judgement, I can only wonder what deterrent there is for anyone else who spouts this kind of vile racist abuse.”
“An individual wished death upon me because of my skin colour. No judge’s claims of ‘naivety’ or ‘immaturity’ will ever be acceptable to us.
“The supposed immaturity and naivety of our attackers is never any comfort.
“So yeah I am disappointed. I’m tired. We are all tired.”
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) February 3, 2021
Wright was sent racial abuse and death threats on social media by O’Brien, which Kick It Out condemned at the time.
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