Millwall supporting father and son banned from sport for Leicester City hate crime

Two Millwall supporters, a father and a son, have been convicted of a hate crime for gestures made when visiting the King Power Stadium earlier this year.

Peter Brookes, 48, and Freddie Brooks, 18, were at the ground to watch the FA Cup meeting between the Lions and Leicester City. The duo were filmed making helicopter gestures to fans of the home club and pointed at a passing helicopter before laughing on January 6.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the actions were 'clearly' in reference to the 2018 helicopter crash tragedy that killed Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others. The two Brooks men, of Rolls Road, Bermondsey, pleaded guilty to the offence at Bromley Magistrates' Court last week.

Peter and Freddie Brooks were slapped with a three-year Footballing Banning Order and ordered to pay costs, as well as a victim surcharge.

Tragedy chanting was made a public order offence last August to stamp the abuse out of sports. Incidents often relate to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and 1958 Munich air disaster but span other situations.

DC Phil Dickinson, from the Met Police’s Football Investigations Team, said: “These convictions demonstrate the zero tolerance approach we are taking to those who partake in so-called ‘tragedy chanting’.

“While such incidents might previously have been viewed as simply being in poor taste, they are now rightly being recognised for what they are – vile offences which cause upset and outrage.

“We are familiar with fans taunting their opponents at football matches, but this is generally done and taken in good humour and without offence. This incident crossed the line of what is acceptable. It was quite simply a hate crime.”