Chester FC fan who died after alleged racist gesture towards Warrington Town footballer is named by coroner
A man who was found dead after allegedly making a racist gesture at a football match has now been named.
During a weekend clash between Chester FC and local rivals Warrington Town, a Chester fan was filmed appearing to make a monkey gesture towards one of the opposing players. The police ended up getting involved, and identified a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the incident.
Just a few hours later, they visited the man’s property after a call raised concerns for his safety. Officers went to an address in Flint, north Wales and found a man dead at the property.
Now, an inquest has been launched into his death, with the coroner identifying him as 52-year-old Andrew Paul Hewitt. Initial reports from the coroner reveal he was found dead at 1.35am on December 1.
His cause of death has provisionally been listed as hanging, with assistant coroner Kate Robinson describing an “apparent act of self-harm.”
Following his death, a statement from Chester FC - who play in the National League North - said: “It is with sadness Chester FC has been made aware of the tragic death of the individual involved.”
After the incident, the club said it was “angry and dismayed at an alleged instance of racism,” and had identified the person responsible, giving their information over to both the FA and Cheshire Police.