Three-year banning order for Newcastle fan after Nazi gesture at Tottenham match
Shay Asher, 24, had previously admitted a charge of racially aggravated harassment during the Premier League game at St James’ Park in October.
A football supporter who made a Nazi gesture towards Tottenham fans has been banned from attending matches for three years.
Newcastle fan Shay Asher, 24, had previously admitted a charge of racially aggravated harassment during the Premier League game at St James’ Park in October.
The former Royal Engineer was fined £200 at Newcastle Magistrates Court when he admitted the offence in April.
He returned to the court to oppose a Football Banning Order which the prosecution applied for to deter similar offensive acts at matches.
Magistrates agreed to impose the three-year order, which comes with conditions, following an hour-long hearing.
Brian Payne, prosecuting, said Northumbria Police asked for the public’s help in tracing a man photographed making a Nazi or fascist gesture at the match.
He said Spurs were known for having a “predominantly or very strongly Jewish fan base”, that Stamford Hill in North London was in the club’s catchment area and it was central to the country’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
“This defendant took it upon himself to produce a Nazi salute,” Mr Payne said.
“He knew or must have known that there was a likelihood of there being a strong Jewish presence among the away supporters.
“It was a pretty deliberate and cynical action.”
Mr Payne said the purpose of banning orders was to prevent violence and disorder at games in the future.
John Wesencraft, defending, said Asher did not have a season ticket and the previous Newcastle game he had attended was some years ago when they were a Championship side.
He said Asher had queued to buy a ticket for the Spurs game as it was the first to take place after the new Newcastle owners took over.
Asher’s actions did not lead to violence, Mr Wesencraft said, adding: “Newcastle United supporters were in particularly good cheer that day, even though they lost.”
He opposed the banning order, saying his client was unlikely to repeat the gesture given that it was a “moment of madness”, he does not have a season ticket, he had no previous convictions and was not a football hooligan.
Asher, of Gibside View, Winlaton, Gateshead, had received a medical discharge from the Royal Engineers as a result of a traumatic experience.
Chairman of the Bench Jane Barnes said the panel agreed to impose the banning order, which includes an order to surrender his passport should Asher apply for one, not to enter football grounds and to keep away from England matches.
She said it was being imposed to help prevent disorder at games in the future.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.