Three men have been fined after they hurled foul-mouthed abuse at England head coach Eddie Jones following Scotland’s Calcutta Cup triumph in February.
Footage released online (see below) showed a group approaching the 58-year-old for a photograph as he left a Manchester railway station to get into a waiting car before the atmosphere turned sour, with expletives hurled at Jones.
Three men from Edinburgh all pleaded guilty to a public order offence of using threatening abusive words and behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Fines ranged from £105 ($142) to £140 and all three were ordered to pay court costs of £115 each.
😡🏉Eddie Jones verbally abused by Scottish 'Rugby fans' as he poses for pictures in Manchester...
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) March 1, 2018
Disgraceful
(📹BBC Sport)https://t.co/hHfUerw03S pic.twitter.com/SYVwZXuSxf
Sentencing the trio at Manchester magistrates’ court, chairman of the bench Joe Bangudu said: “This was a short-lived but disgraceful incident. Your language, although described by your defence as industrial, we think was vile and therefore unacceptable directed to anybody.”
Carl Miles, prosecuting, said Jones was travelling on the train a day after his team’s loss in the Six Nations fixture. On the journey were a number of rugby fans including the defendants, who had not been to the game at Murrayfield, which took place on February 24.
Footage of the incident circulated on social media and the defendants voluntarily attended police stations following a media appeal for information.
A fourth defendant pleaded not guilty to the same offence and will go on trial on August 10.
