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John Terry Was Cleared Of Racial Abuse Even Though He Called Anton Ferdinand A “Black C—”

John Terry, Chelsea captain and former captain of the English national soccer team, said the words “black cunt” to Anton Ferdinand during a tight match in 2011. He went to trial for alleged racial abuse, but a not guilty verdict was delivered today — even though Terry himself admitted to saying the words “black cunt” to Ferdinand. (If you need a primer on the case, we’ve got you covered.)

How the hell was he cleared if he admitted to saying “black cunt,” you ask? Well, his excuse was that he was merely repeating the words, sarcastically, after Ferdinand had suggested he used them. Weirdly, the whole trial came down to whether or not someone said the phrase “black cunt” with meaning.

In an even stranger twist, a YouTube video of the incident was the most important piece of evidence. There was no sound, but a lip-reader confirmed that the phrase “black cunt” was used… as did Terry. (You can’t tell what Ferdinand said first.) So, the evidence was inconclusive, and it’s indeed possible that Terry was being sarcastic.

Oh, and the last thing working in Terry’s favor? Ferdinand claimed that Terry’s insult was retaliation for Ferdinand’s own insult regarding Terry “shagging (his) mate’s missus.” BUT, Terry says he gets that insult every game, so it doesn’t bother him anymore. When you’re reminded that you’re a bad friend enough times, I guess the insult starts to lose its sting.

Who knew being an actual cunt could help you out in a trial where you’re arguing that you didn’t call someone a cunt? Terry’s argument was essentially that he is a cunt, just not a racist cunt. An interesting defense, indeed.

[BBC]

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