Man found not guilty of racially abusing ex-England international Ugo Monye
Angus Beukes, 32, from South Africa, made the comment at Exeter's Sandy Park Stadium after the Exeter Chiefs played Gloucester on November 19 2023.
Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Mr Monye had been commentating at the Premiership match and was leaving for his taxi to the train station at about 5pm.
The ex-Harlequins player-turned-pundit described hearing a man with a South African accent repeatedly use the n-word, leaving him 'extremely shocked'.
Mr 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 the n-word word is acceptable in their home country.
Magistrates found him not guilty of the charge, concluding that prosecutors had not proved that Mr Beukes, who is mixed race, knew the word was offensive in Britain.
Presiding justice Paul Doyle said the 'key point' was whether Mr Beukes intended his actions to be threatening, abusive or insulting and whether he knew that they might have been.
'In evidence, we have heard that the use of the n-word was directed at your friend,' Mr Doyle told Mr Beukes.
'We have also heard that there has been no general socialising outside of the South African community that you shared a house with while in the UK for the time you were here.
'We heard from a number of independent witnesses. The majority of those agreed that the use of the n-word was used towards your friend to stop her from using her phone.
'Mr Monye's evidence is that the n-word was used multiple times, also following when he remonstrated with you and while you were running away.'
Mr Doyle said Mr Beukes had only been in the UK for six months at the time of the offence and the question for the bench was whether he became aware the n-word 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.'
Prosecuting, Maree Doyle read witness statements, including from Mr Monye, describing how a man with a South African accent shouted the n-word as crowds were leaving the stadium.
In a statement, Mr 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.
'My first thought was he would have to be drunk to be shouting that word in public. I had a bag over my shoulder. I dropped it on the floor to challenge his behaviour.
'I said 'mate, you can't be saying that'. I took hold of him at the top of his jacket. We were sort of jostling but it didn't get any more physical than that. I expected him to apologise. He just seemed to double down.'
Mr Monye said supporters separated the two men and he asked for someone to take a photograph of Mr Beukes but nobody did so. He alleged that Mr Beukes repeated the racial slur again before running off.
'He said it while looking me in the eye,' Mr Monye added.
In evidence, Mr Beukes said he had been invited to the match by friends and attended along with a female colleague, also from South Africa.
He insisted the n-word has 'no significant meaning' in South Africa and that he was not aware it was offensive until Mr Monye's reaction.
'In South Africa, we reprimand each other like that,' Mr Beukes added.
'In my country, it doesn't mean anything. It has no meaning whatsoever.'
Mr Beukes told the court he only used the n-word once, towards his friend, saying 'My n-word, put your phone away' as she was causing a bottleneck in the queue of fans waiting to leave the stadium.
The Chiefs apologised to Mr Monye following the incident, which was investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police.
In a statement released at the time, the Rugby Football Union said it was 'appalled' by what happened and pledged its 'full support' to Mr Monye.
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