Albion fan cleared of sending homophobic tweets

An Albion fan accused of sending homophobic tweets has walked free from court after explaining he didn’t know what the term “rent boys” meant.

Tyler Smith, 21, sent two tweets directed at Chelsea fans in April and May last year – the first just after an away game at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, and another the following month.

In both, he referred to Chelsea players as “rent boys”. the first said: “UTA [Up the Albion] 2-1 AGAINST THE RENT BOYS”. The second said: “RENT BOYS ARE GOING DOWNNNNN #CHELSEA”.

Both tweets were flagged by Premier League investigators, who identified Smith and sent a file to Sussex Police. He was subsequently charged with two counts of sending a grossly offensive message on a public communications network.

Today at Brighton Magistrates Court, he said the first he knew about it was when the Albion wrote to him saying he was temporararily banned because of what he’d posted on social media.

He then went through his Twitter account with his dad and his dad’s friend, and they told him what the phrase meant.

He said: “I just thought it was something people chanted. I heard other people saying that and I thought that was what their name was.

“Nobody explained what that term meant. I thought it was something to do with Chelsea and the stadium.

I got an email from the Albion saying I was on a temporary ban because of what I posted on social media. I went through all my social media with friends – my dad and my dad’s friend – and they pointed out it would be that tweet.

“I think I deleted it because I didn’t want to cause any problem. I made a mistake about what it meant. I didn’t want to cause any upset or harm by that.”

Prosecuting, Melanie Wotton said: “I’m going to suggest that’s a term that’s often used against Brighton players and Brighton fans.”

Smith, of Lake Drive, Peacehaven, replied: “I did wonder what it meant [when he heard it at the Chelsea game] but I didn’t ask because I was too busy watching the football.

“Everything that gets chanted is an insult in some way. I didn’t know what it meant exactly.”

Giving the bench’s verdict, presiding magistrate Teresa Blaxland said: “He gave a clear and credible account … We are not convinced that at the time he posted these messages he was either aware or intended the messages to be taken by a reasonable member of the public who read them as grossly offensive.

“We did not find the combination of Mr Smith being a lifelong football fan living in Brighton and being a member of the construction industry convinced us to the high standard of proof required that he knew what the term meant.

“We therefore dismiss the charge.”