A 28-year-old recruitment consultant and Arsenal fan named Charles Ogunmilade was fined £260 for making a hateful racist message about Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey.
The unsettling incident happened on April 21, 2023, during Arsenal's 3–3 tie against Southampton. Ogunmilade referred to Partey as a "dirty black c**t" on social media following the Ghanaian international's strike landing over the crossbar.
Many people were outraged by Ogunmilade's bigoted post and demanded that he be held responsible for his conduct. When the matter went to trial, Ogunmilade maintained that, despite his heinous actions, he was not a racist.
Since then, the court has fined Ogunmilade £260 for his infraction; many believe this is an excessively light punishment given the seriousness of his acts.
On the pitch, Partey has been in devastating form for the Gunners this season, playing both in his natural midfield role and occasionally as a right-back.
The 31-year-old scored a stunning goal during Arsenal's 3-0 thumping of Nottingham Forest over the weekend. He was instrumental in Arsenal's 5-1 thrashing of Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League last night.
The Gunners are counting on Partey to stay healthy and assist his club in reaching their goal this year.
The former Atletico Madrid man joined Arsenal in 2020 and has since been a vital member of the team.
Arsenal hopes to move up the Premier League standings by building on their recent victory over Nottingham Forest. With Partey playing at his best, Mikel Arteta will be hoping he stays injury-free to help the team in the business end of the season.