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Chelsea fan who posted antisemitic and racist tweets aimed at Tottenham
fans, including photos of Auschwitz and a man doing a Nazi salute, has been
jailed.
Nathan Blagg, 21, who told police the tweets were "banter between mates",
was sentenced on Friday to eight weeks in prison after pleading guilty to
seven counts of sending offensive messages between September 29, 2020 and
February 5.
District Judge Michael Hamilton told Blagg only immediate custody would be a
suitable punishment for the "abhorrent and grossly offensive" tweets.
He said: "Quite frankly, the content of these messages was despicable.
"References to the holocaust and other matters cannot on any view ever be
categorised a banter."
Prosecutor David Roberts said the tweets about the Tottenham side were more
offensive in the context of "a history of association with the Jewish
community".
Blagg, described as a life-long Chelsea supporter, posted a picture of the
train tracks to Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz on Twitter with the
message: "Spurs are on their way to Auschwitz", Westminster Magistrates'
Court heard.
Another post featured a fake image of former health secretary Matt Hancock
holding a microphone saying the same words.
Other tweets included a photograph and video of Nazi salutes, and one
message referring to the German phrase adopted by Adolf Hitler's party read:
"Sieg Heiling around my living room as we speak."
Blagg's tweets were investigated by the security team at Chelsea, who passed
them on to police, after they were spotted by a West Brom fan.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Central Football Unit arrested him in
February and he was charged by postal requisition.
Blagg, who was a season-ticket holder, has since been banned from attending
matches, the club heard.
Maeve Thornton, representing Blagg, who works in road construction and lives
at home with his parents, told the court he has a "lack of maturity".
She added Blagg, from Retford, Nottinghamshire, had removed himself from
Twitter and was "deeply remorseful".
Ms Thornton said: "It is clear that he has taken responsibility for his
actions, I submit that his risk is significantly reduced and the probation
report indicates that there is very low risk of him re-offending in the
future and he also indicates to myself that there would not be a repeat of
this offending."
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