Andrew Bone, a 41-year-old former estate agent from Sale, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for a year, after posting a racist tweet aimed at black England players following their defeat in the Euro 2020 final. Bone’s tweet, which read “n*****s ruined it for us,” was directed at Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford, who had missed penalties during the shoot-out against Italy at Wembley on July 11, 2021.
Initially, Bone denied the offense under the Malicious Communications Act, claiming that his Twitter account had been hacked. However, after a police investigation, which included a £2,730 cell site analysis revealing that Bone was at the location where the tweets were sent, he admitted to the offense and changed his plea to guilty.
The prosecution revealed that after the tweet, Bone attempted to downplay his actions by posting “OMG I hadn’t said anything.” His LinkedIn profile was linked to the tweet, revealing his employment with commercial real estate firm Savills. The company launched a full investigation after being tagged in questions about Bone’s racist behavior.
At the sentencing hearing, the court heard how Bone’s actions caused public outrage, with many condemning his behavior. Despite his initial denial, the evidence led to his conviction. Bone’s case highlights the serious consequences of online hate speech and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions on social media.
