A 20-year-old law student and ardent Arsenal fan, Suhel Ali, is facing potential jail time after directing a vile racial slur at Arsenal's Bukayo Saka in an audio message on social media.
The incident occurred following Arsenal's defeat to Nottingham Forest on May 20, 2023, a loss that confirmed Manchester City as Premier League champions. Ali, who studies at City University in London, admitted to sending the offensive message.
In the audio clip uploaded to X (formerly Twitter), Ali referred to Saka using derogatory terms, including calling him a "f***ing black piece of s**t" and "the s***test winger I've ever seen at my club." He also used the N-word and called Saka a "monkey," which he later claimed was meant to imply stupidity rather than being a racial insult.
The case has drawn attention due to its implications for online abuse and racism in sports. Ali's mother played a crucial role in the investigation by providing police with his IP address and email details, leading to his identification and arrest.
During a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, District Judge Briony Clarke postponed sentencing until October 8, stating, "I'm not going to sentence you today but I'm not ruling anything out."
Ali's lawyer, Robert Moxon, argued that the offensive language was used out of frustration and not intended to be racially charged. "He used the N-word in that tweet but he's using that not in a racial context but in an offensive context," Moxon explained. When questioned about the use of the word "monkey," Moxon responded that it was meant to suggest that Saka is "dumb."
Comments