A MAN has admitted making racist gestures at a Leeds United Premier League match.

David Ellis, of Pottery Lane, York, was also convicted of failing to comply with a football banning order.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison at Leeds Magistrates' Court on April 6 for breaching the order. There was no separate penalty for the racial gesture charge.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated section 5 public order act offence in relation to gestures he made at Leeds v Aston Villa at Elland Road on October 2, 2022.

The gestures had been filmed and shared on social media where they were seen by West Yorkshire Police officers.

An investigation was launched which led to Ellis, who was supporting Leeds United, being identified.

Detective Sergeant Rob Kennerley of Leeds District Police, who investigated the matter alongside dedicated specialist officers, said: “We will always take reports of hate crime seriously and do everything we can to support victims and take positive action against offenders.

“As we have seen with this incident, other fans will rightly take exception to this type of behaviour and are prepared to challenge it as completely unacceptable."

  • An earlier version of this story reported that Ellis had been jailed for the racially aggravated offence. We would like to clarify that he was jailed for failing to comply with a football banning order and no separate penalty was made for the racially aggravated offence.