Terry ‘goaded about alleged affair before making racist insult’

Footballer John Terry was goaded about an alleged affair before throwing a racist obscene insult at Anton Ferdinand, a court has heard.

Chelsea and England defender Terry, 31, is accused of using the racist phrase during a Premier League match last year as he and the Queens Park Rangers player exchanged insults.

Opening the prosecution yesterday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Duncan Penny said: “The Crown alleges the defendant, most probably in response to physical gestures being made by Mr Ferdinand which the defendant understood to refer to the well-publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair with a team-mate’s wife, shouted at Mr Ferdinand.”

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He went on: “The Crown’s case is that the words were abusive and insulting in a straightforward sense and that the [phrase] was uttered as an abusive insult demonstrating hostility based on Mr Ferdinand’s membership of a racial group.”

Terry, who denies a racially aggravated public order offence, maintains he was only sarcastically repeating words that Ferdinand wrongly thought he had used.

Giving evidence, Ferdinand said they had exchanged insults and “he gave me a gesture as if to say my breath smelled”.

He told the court he questioned Terry’s use of a particular insult, demanding how he could call him that, adding “you sh***** your team-mate’s missus”, in a reference to Terry’s alleged affair with Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Perroncel and jogged down the pitch making a fist gesture to imply sex.

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At first the QPR centre-half did not think any racist insult had been used and shook hands with Terry, accepting their clash was “banter”. But after the match, his then girlfriend showed him a clip of their exchange posted on YouTube, and he believed Terry had used the racist obscenity.

Ferdinand said if he had realised at the time he would have told officials and added: “When someone brings your colour into it, it takes it to another level and it’s very hurtful.”

The trial continues today.