Judge rejects application to dismiss case against two West Ham fans charged with racially aggravated harassment of visibly Jewish man on Ryanair flight

A judge has today rejected an application to dismiss the case against two West Ham supporters charged with racially aggravated harassment of a visibly Jewish man on a Ryanair flight last year.

Lee Carey, 55, and Jak Bruce, 31, were arrested in connection with an incident on a flight to Eindhoven in November 2021 in which numerous West Ham supporters were videoed chanting an antisemitic song, apparently at a Hasidic passenger.

The group was filmed to be chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew”, as they flew to a match between their team and KRC Genk in Belgium.

Last month, the defendants sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction under the Civil Aviation Act and therefore could not hear the case. 

Sitting at Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Walker today rejected that application, but the matter of jurisdiction has yet to be resolved, with a further hearing due later this year.

West Ham confirmed last year that it had banned two supporters for life, although it is not known if those fans are the defendants in this case.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.