The 22-year-old has been sentenced to 12 months in prison
A 22-year-old man who sent racist abuse to former Crystal Palace and Everton winger Yannick Bolasie has been given a one-year prison sentence.
Kirk Thompson of Ravenscraig in Kirkcaldy was sentenced at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in Fife on Thursday by Sheriff Alastair Brown.
Sheriff Brown told Thompson that his actions were intentional and contributed to the ongoing trend of abuse being sent online, as reported by Sky Sports.
He said: “The court is aware that those in any sort of prominent position in public regularly receive abusive texts and are denigrated online by those whose only qualification to do so is they are able to switch on a mobile phone.”
Bolasie was on-loan at Championship side Middlesbrough when he received the messages, with the 32-year-old using his social media accounts to expose the racial slurs he received from Thompson.
During the post he described the 22-year-old as a ‘keyboard warrior.”
He said: “Something seriously wrong with people… keyboard warriors.
“Still yet to meet a person who had this energy when they saw me.”
Thompson pleaded guilty to three charges: possession of indecent images of children, permitting to be taken or making indecent images of children, and sending a racist message.
Police also found four indecent images and movies during a police search of his house back in March with two rated as Category A (the most severe), two rated Category B and one as Category C.
Thompson was then sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence for his first two charges and four months for sending the racist messages, with both sentences running concurrently.
Related links:
- Tottenham condemn homophobic chanting during Chelsea game
- Brentford fan arrested for allegedly making homophobic and racist comments
- Man pleads guilty to racially abusing Yannick Bolasie on social media
