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LEGENDARY footballer Ian Wright has recounted how he was left in shock after being racially abused online by an Irish teenager.
Tralee District Court heard how Patrick O’Brien (18) sent “rude” and “racist” messages to the former Arsenal player late at night after he lost a virtual soccer match on a Playstation game, FIFA , where a virtual Wright was downloaded to play with.
O’Brien of Sycamore Court, Ashleigh Downs, pleaded guilty to two counts. The teenager will be sentenced in January.
Garda Sgt. Eoin Donovan described the facts of the case.
He told the court that O’Brien had been playing FIFA online against a friend and that he had downloaded the virtual Ian Wright as “a legend” to play for him. He had lost the game “and got mad,” Sergeant Donovan said.
Ian Wright’s character did not perform as well as he expected, so Patrick O’Brien sent Ian Wright a private message on Instagram, Sgt.
The garda described the 20 messages that were sent in rapid succession overnight as “rude, racist and threatening in nature.”
“He was using racist slurs, starting with ‘n’ and ‘c’,” said Sgt.
When the judge asked for examples to decide if they were really as described, the sergeant read aloud to the court, spelling out some of the bad words.
The next morning his publicist informed Ian Wright of the messages and the former Arsenal star took screenshots and posted them on his public page.
The next day, O’Brien was inundated with messages, Sgt.
Mr. O’Brien’s mother also received messages online and took her son to the Tralee Garda station, where he made “a full admission.”
The court was told how Ian Wright had wanted to go to court but was unable to do so due to Covid restrictions. Sergeant Donovan read to the court two statements from Mr. Wright about the impact on the victim.
In the first statement, Wright wrote: “Emotional, very shocked by the intensity, I have experienced racism years ago but I am in complete shock to experience it now and I am very disappointed.
However, in a second victim impact statement, Mr. Wright said, “Patrick, I forgive you. I believe there is redemption for everyone. I hope that you and also those who taught you or allowed this hatred learn from this and change for the better. “
The court was told that Mr. O’Brien had no prior convictions and had never come to the attention of the court before or after.
He had also contacted Mr. Wright “immediately” to apologize, Sergeant Donovan agreed with attorney Patrick Mann.
Judge David Waters said that a person his age would hold those views and express them in such a cruel and calculating way that it was troubling.
The judge ordered a probation report, given the teenager’s age, and ordered him released on bail to appear in court again on January 27.
Online editors
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