Sport | South African man not guilty of racially abusing ex-England rugby international Monye

Ugo Monye, former England international and now TNT rugby presenter, looks on during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Harlequins and Bristol Bears. (David Rogers/Getty Images)

• Angus Beukes, accused of using a racial slur near former England rugby player Ugo Monye, was found not guilty due to insufficient proof of intent or awareness of offence in UK culture.
• Beukes claimed the word was acceptable in South Africa, where he is from, and was talking to a South African friend at the time of the incident at Exeter’s Sandy Park Stadium.
• The court ruled that prosecutors did not prove Beukes intended to cause offence, while Monye expressed shock and disappointment over the incident, which went unchallenged by bystanders.
• For more rugby news, visit our dedicated section.

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 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 19 November 2023.

Exeter Magistrate’s 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.