UK cricket fan fined for racist graffiti

The English cricket fan who pleaded guilty to writing racist remarks on seats in Newlands Stadium has been sentenced to a fine of R4 000 or six months in jail.

Matthew Weller of Wolverhampton will also have to pay R1 210 to the stadium "for the malicious damage" he has done, the Wynberg Magistrate's Court ordered yesterday.

On Monday Weller, 33, used a black felt-tip pen to scrawl swastikas and write racist remarks - including "I hate darks" - on the presidential pavilion. He told the court he was under the influence of liquor at the time.

When stadium manager Cyril Martin was told about the incident he laid a charge at the Claremont police station.

"When I left the police station I was escorted by a police photographer to the scene. And when we got there at 8.20pm, it was already dark and I had to switch on the floodlights so that the photographer could take pictures of the graffiti," Martin said.

He said keeping the lights on after the game while the police were taking pictures had cost the Newlands Stadium "dearly".

"That's about R11 250 for lights only. And we had to keep on our cleaning staff for overtime as well. We had to pay them for the time they waited.

"It takes about 20 minutes to switch on those lights and there are intervals between the five phases before optimum light is obtained."

When asked why he did not wait for the next day to clean the seats or have the pictures taken, Martin said that "when you run an operation like this, you have to ensure that you leave the venue ready for the next day's game".

"People need to understand that we start early and the first group of spectators are let in at about 8am."

Regarding the lighting issue, Weller's counsel, Christopher Ryke, said: "I put it to you that you made the biggest mistake by switching on those lights, Mr Martin."

But when police photographer Gavin Stanbridge testified, he said it would have been impossible "to take decent pictures" without sufficient light.

Stanbridge said: "At the time of arrival at the stadium the visibility was not good and the picture quality would have been bad. I would have asked the stadium manager to put on the lights before taking photographs."

When magistrate JD Kotze passed sentence, he said he was not going to punish Weller for the hate speech "but for the damage to property".

"As you said the purpose was to show off and there are other ways of showing off rather than degrading other people. If you fail to pay the Newlands Stadium R1 210, I will have to retain your passport until the stadium has been paid."

About 60 people had gathered to see Weller leave the court and could not hide their anger when he escaped through the back door into his counsel's white BMW, while covering his face with a black jacket.

"I can't believe it! He (Weller) said he hates n****rs but the coloured guy gives him his jacket to cover his face after all that s**t," said one woman spectator.