Romaine Sawyers: Albion fan jailed for racist post loses appeal

Simon Silwood was sent back to prison for eight weeks - less the six days he had already served

A football fan who racially abused West Bromwich Albion midfielder Romaine Sawyers on social media has lost an appeal against his conviction.

Simon Silwood was jailed for eight weeks in September after a court ruled a Facebook message was intentionally racist and not the result of autocorrect as he had claimed.

Silwood, 50, of Kingswinford, West Midlands was told he had "not told the truth" about the "despicable" abuse.

His sentence was upheld.

A judge at the Wolverhampton Crown Court hearing on Friday told Silwood his version of events were "inconceivable" and the decision to bring an appeal "unwise".

Silwood had previously admitted writing the message but blamed his language on a misspelling.

Sawyers, who is currently on loan at Stoke City, has encouraged players to report racial abuse

The post - following West Brom's heavy defeat in January - was made on a "sarcastic" Facebook group titled "Romaine Sawyers - Ballon d'Or"; a reference to the annual award to the world's best player.

The 50-year-old steel worker said he had meant to type Sawyers should win the "buffoon d'Or".

He claimed a misspelling, of "bafoon", had autocorrected on his device to "baboon".

The three judges hearing the appeal "unhesitatingly" came to the conclusion "the appellant has not told us the truth".

Judge Jonathan Gosling told Silwood: "You - and other people inclined to mete out racial abuse - must understand right-thinking people are repelled by it.

"We enjoy free speech in this country and to abuse it in the way we see here, requires severe punishment.

"Only by that means can this scourge be addressed."

Simon Silwood sent the message after West Brom lost to Manchester City in January

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He was sent back to jail for eight weeks, less the six days he had already served.

Sawyers, who is on loan at Stoke City, has encouraged fellow players to report all racial abuse to police.

A previous court hearing was told the player was left feeling "harassed, alarmed and distressed" after reading the message.