A Northumberland man has apologised in court for racially abusing a Premier League footballer online.
Antonio Neill sent Ivan Toney an "exceptionally offensive" message on social media, an image of which the disgusted Brentford striker subsequently shared on Twitter. The incident was reported to police in October last year and officers managed to trace the message to an address in North Shields.
Neill, of Robert Street, in Blyth, was arrested and appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message. He also apologised for his behaviour and said: "I want to say sorry about what I said to Ivan. I'm disgusted and ashamed about it. I want to become a better person."
