SA man found not guilty of racially abusing former UK rugby star, says didn't know N-word was offensive

A man who shouted a racial slur in the vicinity of former England rugby union international Ugo Monye following a match was found not guilty on Friday, of a public order offence.

Angus Beukes, 32, from South Africa, made the comment at Exeter's Sandy Park Stadium after the Exeter Chiefs played southwest rivals Gloucester in the English Premiership on November 19, 2023.

Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Monye had been commentating on the match and was leaving for his taxi to the train station.

Monye described hearing a man with a South African accent repeatedly use the slur, leaving him "extremely shocked".

Beukes, a mechanic who represented himself in court via video link from South Africa, denied a charge of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

He insisted he had been talking to a female friend, who is also South African, and that the word in question is acceptable in their homeland.

Magistrates found Beukes, who is of mixed race, not guilty of the charge, saying prosecutors had not proved he knew the word was offensive in Britain.

Presiding justice Paul Doyle said the "key point" was whether Beukes intended his actions to be threatening, abusive or insulting and whether he knew they might have been.

"We heard from a number of independent witnesses," said Doyle. "The majority of those agreed that the use of the n-word was used towards your friend to stop her from using her phone."

Doyle said Beukes had only been in the UK for six months at the time of the offence and the question for the court to decide was whether he became aware that the racial slur was offensive in UK culture during that time.

"The onus is on the prosecution to show us that this was the case," he added.

"We find that they have not demonstrated this beyond reasonable doubt.

"As these elements have not been fully proved to a satisfactory standard, we find you not guilty of the offence."

Prosecutor Maree Doyle read witness statements, including one from Monye.

In his statement, Monye said: "I felt immediately shocked by this as the word is extremely offensive. I heard the word again said as the male went past me. The male stood in front of me and repeated the word again."

Exeter issued a public apology to Monye after the incident, with the former England wing saying at the time he was "fed up" after Beukes went unchallenged from those around him after shouting the slur.

AFP