Rio Ferdinand: Man sentenced over racist tweets to commentator during Euro 2020

Rio Ferdinand said the tweets were "grossly offensive" and "deeply upsetting"

A man who racially abused Rio Ferdinand on Twitter after the Euro 2020 final has been given a suspended sentence.

Robert Whippe, 64, admitted directing two tweets featuring monkey and banana emojis at the former England player over his commentary, St Albans Magistrates' Court heard.

The judge was told Mr Ferdinand found the tweets "grossly offensive".

Whippe was also ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

The tweets were sent on the morning of 8 July last year, following England's match against Denmark, and on 11 July, after England lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out.

The court heard Mr Ferdinand said having to explain the messages to his children was "deeply upsetting" and that he wanted the perpetrator to be "prosecuted and educated".

Robert Whippe told a probation officer he felt "awful" about the messages

The tweets were traced by police using automatic software designed to trawl social media for possible abuse, the judge was told.

Whippe, from St Albans, initially told police the messages were "a joke" and he did not realise they carried racist connotations, the court heard.

During a later interview with a probation officer he then accepted that was not true and said he felt "awful".

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram sentenced him to a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of sending a grossly offensive message.

He was also ordered to pay £120 in "symbolic" compensation to Mr Ferdinand as well as £85 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

Mr Ikram said: "There can be no doubt that anyone who uses symbols such as monkeys and bananas has only one intention and motive behind their actions and that is to ridicule, mock and belittle through those racist symbols."

Senior crown prosecutor Matthew Gauntlett previously said Whippe's actions were "part of a disease in football that the Crown Prosecution Service is playing its part to eradicate".