Man admits to racially abusing footballer Jess Carter

A 60-year-old man has admitted sending offensive messages on social media to England footballer Jess Carter.

Nigel Dewell sent the posts to Carter’s TikTok account during last summer’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, which the defending champions the Lionesses won.

The messages included a derogatory reference to Carter’s race and suggested that brown-skinned people were “murderers” and “sitters.”

Deuel, from Great Harwood in Lancashire, appeared at Blackburn Magistrates Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to sending a malicious message over a public communications network between June 19 and 23 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon, an extendable baton, in a private place in February.

Magistrates adjourned the case until March 25 for pre-sentence reports, warning Deuel, of Prospect Street, that all sentencing options were open including prison.

Deuel was granted unconditional bail.

Central defender Carter plays her soccer for US side Gotham in the National Women’s Soccer League, having previously represented Chelsea and Birmingham City in the UK.

The 28-year-old, from Warwick, had previously said she would stay away from social media after being subjected to racist abuse online during the tournament.

Lancashire Police said the British Football Police Unit launched an investigation in July and traced the messages to Deuel, who was arrested in August.

Mark Roberts, Chief Constable of Cheshire Police and national lead for Football Policing, said: “Deuel’s comments were absolutely abhorrent and caused emotional distress to Miss Carter and her family, and I welcome today’s guilty plea.”

“We have made clear that hate crimes online or in person are unacceptable, and as we showed in this case, you cannot hide behind a social media profile to post vile comments and spread hate.”