The jury in the trial of a football fan accused of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand during a Premier League match has been discharged.
Jamie Arnold, 32, is accused of targeting the former England defender while he was working as a pundit for BT Sports.
He is accused of causing harassment, alarm or aggravated racial distress by using ‘threatening, insulting or offensive’ words during the Wolves vs Man United match in September. 5 years ago.
Rio Ferdinand came to court yesterday and gave evidence against Jamie Arnold, 31 years old
Arnold, 31, said he did not make racially abusive comments at Ferdinand during the match
The match is the first time Molineux has organized for fans to return to the stands after more than a year after the Covid pandemic was locked.
Arnold, of Norton Bridge, Staffs., appeared on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.
But just a day after Rio, 43, gave evidence in court that 12 jurors were discharged from hospital by Judge Simon Ward on the second day of his trial this afternoon.
Approaching the court, Arnold clutched his hair as he faced the beginning of the trial
Ferdinand, who looked dapper in designer clothes and coach, gave evidence at the trial
Fired the jury, Judge Ward said: ‘I will discharge you. I’m sorry you came here to try a case and you couldn’t.
‘My job is to make sure this is a fair trial. My guess is that someone else will have to try it. ‘
Arnold, who has denied the charges, now faces a retrial at an unspecified date.
