A FOOTBALL fan who caused outrage on Twitter by posting racist tweets about Newcastle United has admitted two offences.
Sunderland fan Peter Copeland, 29, was arguing on the social media site with a Newcastle United fan when what started as banter turned criminal.
Copeland tweeted a racist comment about Newcastle’s star striker Demba Ba.
Sunderland Magistrates’ Court heard that he followed it up with another comment saying the Toon army should be called the **** army.
Peter Anderson, prosecuting, said that was in reference to Newcastle United’s Toon Army nickname.
The comments were made on January 17 after Newcastle signed Ba’s Senegal teammate Papiss Cisse.
Unemployed Copeland, who lives with his parents in Benridge Bank, West Rainton, Durham, admitted two offences under the Malicious Communications Act and will be sentenced on February 27.
Copeland was arrested after the tweets were reported to Northumbria Police.
Mr Anderson said: “Copeland told police there had been ‘banter’ with a Newcastle supporter and his comments were an attempt to wind up the rival fan.
“He accepted he had gone way too far.”
Copeland’s tweets provoked 50 to 60 responses from other Twitter users unhappy with the remarks, the court heard.
“He decided thereafter to close down his Twitter account,” said Mr Anderson.
Copeland already had a conviction under the Malicious Communications Act, the court heard, but this concerned warning off an ex-partner’s new boyfriend and was not of a similar nature to the racist tweeting.
Ruth Forster, defending, said: “From the outset Mr Copeland has been extremely remorseful.
“This case may act as a stark reminder that as soon as a comment is posted online it becomes available for the masses to see. He never intended his comments to reach a worldwide audience.”
Miss Forster said the Twitter row between Copeland and the Newcastle fan had started innocuously, but swiftly became nasty with the two trading insults before her client made his “stupid mistake”.
After realising how widespread his remarks had become, he wrote a letter of apology to Newcastle United.
Miss Forster urged magistrates not to link the case to football’s other high profile race issues. She said: “I think you have to look at him as an individual who made the mistake of putting a tweet on a public site.
“These comments could have been made at any given stage when there was no media hype with high profile players in high profile cases.”
She added: “Mr Copeland accepts these comments were outrageous and totally out of line.”
Chairman of the Bench Thomas Eastick adjourned the case for sentence after indicating a “medium level community order” was being considered for Copeland.
