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| Northampton Town racist tweeter Ben Townsend to pay players £500 | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A man who admitted sending racist tweets to two Northampton Town footballers has been ordered to pay £500 compensation to each of them. | |
| Ben Townsend, 25, admitted two charges of sending an offensive message by a public communications network. | Ben Townsend, 25, admitted two charges of sending an offensive message by a public communications network. |
| Cheltenham Magistrates' Court heard Townsend targeted players Adebayo Akinfenwa and Clarke Carlisle on Twitter on 7 and 8 May. | Cheltenham Magistrates' Court heard Townsend targeted players Adebayo Akinfenwa and Clarke Carlisle on Twitter on 7 and 8 May. |
| The labourer had 106 followers on Twitter at the time of the offence. | The labourer had 106 followers on Twitter at the time of the offence. |
| 'Disgusted and embarrassed' | 'Disgusted and embarrassed' |
| The court was told the tweets, sent after a match between Cheltenham Town and Northampton Town on 5 May, were "highly offensive and racist". | The court was told the tweets, sent after a match between Cheltenham Town and Northampton Town on 5 May, were "highly offensive and racist". |
| In the tweet to Mr Akinfenwa, Townsend used the hash tag "monkey boy". | In the tweet to Mr Akinfenwa, Townsend used the hash tag "monkey boy". |
| His solicitor told the court his client was "disgusted and embarrassed" by his actions and that he was "keen to repair the damage that he's done". | His solicitor told the court his client was "disgusted and embarrassed" by his actions and that he was "keen to repair the damage that he's done". |
| District judge Martin Brown ordered Townsend to pay each player £500 compensation for the messages, which he said were "equally disgusting and racist". | District judge Martin Brown ordered Townsend to pay each player £500 compensation for the messages, which he said were "equally disgusting and racist". |
| He was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work. | He was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work. |
| Townsend, of Cheltenham, was arrested on 8 May in a joint operation between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire Police. | Townsend, of Cheltenham, was arrested on 8 May in a joint operation between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire Police. |
| A spokesman for Cheltenham Town FC said the club has a "strong stance against any kind of racism on or off the pitch". | A spokesman for Cheltenham Town FC said the club has a "strong stance against any kind of racism on or off the pitch". |
| "We welcome the conclusion of today's trial but we will also be implementing a ban of our own. | "We welcome the conclusion of today's trial but we will also be implementing a ban of our own. |
| "Cheltenham Town is a family friendly football club and any form of racism is completely unacceptable," he said. | "Cheltenham Town is a family friendly football club and any form of racism is completely unacceptable," he said. |