The jury in the trial of a football fan accused of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand during a Premier League match have been discharged.
Jamie Arnold, 32, was accused of targeting the former England defender while he was working as a pundit for BT Sports.
He was charged with causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress by using ‘threatening, abusive or insulting’ words during the Wolves v Man United game last May.
Rio Ferdinand arrived at court yesterday and gave evidence against Jamie Arnold, 31
Arnold, 31, says he did not make racially abusive comments at Ferdinand during the match
The match was the first time Molineux had hosted fans back in the stands in more than a year following the Covid pandemic lockdown.
Arnold, of Norton Bridge, Staffs., went on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.
But just a day after Rio, 43, gave evidence in court the 12 person jury were discharged on the second day of the trial this afternoon by Judge Simon Ward.
Heading to court, Arnold clutched the top of his hair as he faced the start of the trial
Ferdinand, who looked smart in designer clothes and trainers, gave evidence at the trial
Discharging the jury, Judge Ward said: ‘I’m discharging you. I’m sorry for that as you came here to try a case and you haven’t been able to.
‘My job is to ensure it is a fair trial. My judgement is to ensure that is that someone else will have to try it.’
Arnold, who denied the charge, now faces a retrial at a date yet to be fixed.