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A TEENAGER has been charged with two crimes stemming from the alleged racial abuse of former England and Arsenal soccer star Ian Wright (56).
Atrick O’Brien (18) of 8 Sycamore Court, Ashleigh Downs, Tralee, Co Kerry appeared in Tralee District Court on two counts in connection with the alleged incident last May.
Gardaí launched an investigation after Wright, who now works as a BBC commentator on the ‘Match of the Day’, made public the wildly offensive messages he had received on social media.
Wright was capped 33 times for England and, throughout a brilliant career, played 581 league games and scored 387 goals.
He was part of Arsenal’s double-winning team in 1998 and also won a European Cup Winners’ Cup with the Gunners in 1994, although he did not play in the final.
After a lengthy investigation, Kerry Gardaí questioned a teenager last summer.
Garda Sgt Eoin O’Donovan told Judge David Waters that he arrested O’Brien Wednesday morning in Ashe Street, Tralee.
After being warned and formally charged, the teenager did not respond to Gardaí. O’Brien is charged with harassing Ian Wright in an unknown location in the Tralee district on May 11, 2020 against Section 10 (1) and (6) of the Non-Fatal Crimes Against the Person Act, 1997 .
He also faces a second count of sending an extremely offensive, obscene and threatening message over the phone on the same date and from the same unknown location.
This charge was contrary to Section 13 (1) A and Section 13 (2) of the Post Office Act of 1951, as amended by Section 4 of the Communications Act of 2007.
O’Brien was released on bail.
Judge Waters ordered him to appear again in district court on Nov. 18, when a jurisdiction issue and a hearing date are expected to be confirmed.
The teenager did not speak in court beyond confirming his identity.
Online editors
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