Was Paul Gascoigne Racial Abusive, Or Just Stating The Fact That He Could Not See The Bouncer?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3796198/Paul-Gascoigne-pleads-guilty-racially-abusing-black-bouncer.html

Has regards the penalty, this reader's view about says it all.

/// invade an airport and disrupt hundreds of planes and thousands of people causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of delays, get £95 bill. make a stupid comment and get done for over 2.5k, something is not right here. Ok Gascoigne should not have said it, but was the guy really so upset? Of course not,; however if I needed a body guard, I would want one that didn't crumble over a tasteless joke that's for sure!///

[jackthehat]

By pleading guilty he's admitted that he was.....

[agchristie]

I wonder why he changed his plea just this morning?

[andy-hughes]

Was Paul Gascoigne consciously racially abusive? Highly doubtful.

As his defence pointed out, Gascoigne is a somewhat unreconstructed individual, I doubt if he would understand the term 'insidiously racist' as the judge put it to him.

But - just because offence is not intended, that is not an excuse for it - by that measure, no-one who ran over a stranger would ever be prosecuted again because no harm was meant.

So Gascoigne has been charged, tried and convicted. There will be those who think is sentence, and indeed even the charge, were overly harsh, there will be others who think justice for the greater good of society has been served. And there will be those, and I seriously suspect Gascoigne is one of them, who will be rather baffled by the whole thing.

Comparing penalties is utterly futile - laws are based on circumstances, charges, evidence, mitigation, and a judge's experienced opinion. There is no 'this was worse than that' - it is a debate cul-de-sac, and best avoided.

[andy-hughes]

AG, chances are his counsel advised it in the interest if receiving a reduced sentence, since it was probable on the evidence that he would be convicted anyway.

[fiction-factory]

Yes he accepted the charge. It was an unwise thing to say- it was the sort of line black and white comedians got away with regularly in the 1970s but it sounds less funny now. Gazza is not a professional comedian though and I can see how under the spotlight someone who isn't always thinking straight could make such a comment (if it was unscripted) without realising it could offend. I am sure he regretted it the moment it hit the press

[agchristie]

Andy > since it was probable on the evidence that he would be convicted anyway.

But we don't have access to the sum total of the evidence.His counsel would have given advice initially and he denied the charge. Something must have changed significantly for him to change his mind.

[ToraToraTora]

load of old pony, he probably pleaded guilty to get it over with but I doubt he understood it. Bernard Manning usde to do this all show every show, he was never prosecuted. The Bloke in question just saw a chance for a bag o sand compo, end of.

[anotheoldgit]

The public are constantly told, for their own safety, not to wear dark clothing at night, does a white person have more chance of being seen, than a person with a dark skin colour?

[andy-hughes]

TTT - //The Bloke in question just saw a chance for a bag o sand compo, end of. //

That may be true - if it was the gentleman in question who raised the charge.

I have been unable to find who actually brought the case - does anyone know?

[emeritus]

Its referenced in a Telegraph article as

A review of the show in a Wolverhampton newspaper described Gazza as a "flawed genius", and made passing reference to the "joke" that spawned police action.

[ummmm]

I thought I read the bouncer wasn't offended.

[Bazile]

//..'You want to get to the front of the stage and smile so the audience can see you,' //

Was he with his mates , when he made the comment ?
Probably thought he would try and impress them with his 'wit'

[trt]

I'm more surprised that the Venue sold 1,000 tickets to see him, mind you it is, Wolverhampton!!

[DTCwordfan]

well Gascoigne has always been a bit of numpty when it comes to the brain connecting with the rest of him, except when there was a football nearby. Am I surprised, no. At least, he looks a little healthier...

[hc4361]

Some of those tickets were £480. It wasn't the bouncer that complained, it was some members of the audience that walked out in disgust.

[Bazile]

I think that fella behind him in the picture , only just got the 'joke'

[DTCwordfan]

must have been Newcastle fans, hc - they are used to leaving early.

[sp1814]

A £2,500 is surprisingly large, especially for a joke which is at least 45 years old.

AOG - you asked whether Gascoigne was being racially abusive or just stating that he could not see the bouncer.

There's a third (more likely) possibility - he thought he was being funny, and on safe ground. In the grand scheme of things, he's certainly no Michael Richards (Seinfeld actor).

[Peter Pedant]

well he was sober for the hearing

The bouncer was a bit of a cry baby - yeah even worse than Gazza
he gave a heart wrenching account of the psychological effect the joke had had one him
low self respect and so on and so on

and Gazza paid a few thou he cant now spend on booze ....

[hc4361]

Have you got a link to that, PP? A quote of what the bouncer actually said because it was not him that complained to the police.