Terry 'racially abused' Ferdinand after taunts over alleged affair, court hears
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Trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court expected to last five days
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Terry faces maximum fine of £2,500 but no prospect of jail
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FA inquiry has been postponed until after criminal case
In the dock: John Terry listens as Anton Ferdinand takes the witness stand
In the dock: The Chelsea captain arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday morning
Chelsea captain and England international John Terry called Anton Ferdinand a racist obscenity in response to taunts about his alleged affair with a team-mate's ex-girlfriend, a court has heard.
The 31-year-old allegedly called QPR defender Ferdinand a 'f****** black c***'.
Terry is accused of a racially aggravated public order offence during a Barclays Premier League match on October 23 last year, which was broadcast to millions of people.
Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, Terry sat in the dock wearing a light grey suit, white shirt and pink tie.
The court heard that Terry told Ferdinand to 'f*** off" and also called him a "f****** k*******' as the pair exchanged insults.
Opening the prosecution, Duncan Penny said: 'The Crown alleges that the words he used demonstrated hostility based on Mr Ferdinand's membership or presumed membership of a racial group.
Accused: Terry denies any wrongdoing after being charged with shouting an offensive comment to Ferdinand
The court heard that Terry maintains he was only sarcastically repeating words that Ferdinand wrongly thought he had used.
Mr Penny said: 'The Crown alleges that the defendant, most probably in response to physical gestures being made by Mr Ferdinand which the defendant understood to refer to the well-publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair with a team-mate's wife, shouted at Mr Ferdinand.'
He went on: 'The Crown's case is that the words were abusive and insulting in a straightforward sense and that the term 'f****** black c***' was uttered as an abusive insult demonstrating hostility based on Mr Ferdinand's membership of a racial group.
'They were uttered by the defendant in response to goading by Mr Ferdinand on the issue of his extra-marital affair, rather than by way of exaggerated and instant querying of a perceived false allegation.'
Terry was allowed out of the dock into the well of the court to view footage of the alleged insult.
Before the case started, defence barrister George Carter-Stephenson QC asked for Terry to be allowed to sit beside him in the well of the court rather than in the dock.
District Judge Howard Riddle rejected the request.
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, controversially axed from Roy Hodgson's 23-man Euro 2012 squad, tweeted support for his brother on Monday.
'Morning all! Frazzled head this morning, school run done! @anton_ferdinand head high bruv,' Ferdinand said.
Terry denies any wrongdoing and has hired the services of experienced and highly respected QC, George Carter-Stephenson, to lead his defence.
Terry was dropped as England captain by the Football Association once his trial date was set for after Euro 2012, and that axing led to Fabio Capello's resignation as manager and the appointment of Roy Hodgson.
Impressive: Terry starred for England at this summer's European Championships
Hodgson selected Terry in his squad for the championship in Ukraine and Poland and the central defender played in all four of England's games at the tournament before their elimination on penalties by Italy.
The Chelsea defender, who did not say anything when asked for comment on his arrival at court, takes to the dock facing a maximum fine of £2,500 if he is found guilty. There is no prospect of any jail sentence. The trial is expected to last for five days.
The case is being heard by Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle, and there is no jury.
Both television clips and unbroadcast footage of the incident, which would normally be used for training purposes, were shown to the court.
It is claimed that Ferdinand said something about 'shagging ya mate's missus' and made fist gestures, before Terry responded.
The court was told that Chelsea team-mates Ashley Cole and John Obi Mikel were nearby when insults were traded, but they will not be called as witnesses as part of the prosecution case.
Terry said in a statement to the Football Association five days after the incident that he and Ferdinand had been exchanging 'verbals' and he had made a gesture to imply Mr Ferdinand had bad breath.
He said: 'We're still having a, sort of, ding-dong, if you like. That's when, as I said before, he said "black c***".
'Now clearly, as I said before, I don't think he's calling me a black c***, but at the same time I take quite a strong offence.'
Centre of attention: Members of the media flocked to Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday
Police protection: Terry wore a pink tie and grey suit for the first day of his trial
No sentence: Terry doesn't face a jail term
The England defender said he was not offended by the taunts about the alleged affair with Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend, because 'it's not the first time I've heard it, so it's with a pinch of salt a little bit now'.
However he said he was angered by any accusation that he might have used a racist insult. After the match, which took place at QPR's ground Loftus Road, Terry asked a steward to get Ferdinand from the QPR dressing room.
Terry said in his statement: 'It's myself, Anton and Ash (Ashley Cole), nobody else, and I said to Anton, "was you accusing me of calling you a black c***?"
'Frazzled head this morning. @anton_ferdinand head high bruv'
Rio Ferdinand on Twitter
'That was my exact words to him, and he said "No, not at all."'
Later in the interview Terry added: 'I'm being honest and open with you guys, that I didn't mean it in the context that, if you watch the video and me, watching the video, you can quite easily say that doesn't look good.
'But at the same time, in the context of what I thought Anton accused me of, you know, no-one can argue what my feelings were at that time.'
Immediately after the match, Ferdinand did not think that Terry had used racist words, the court heard.
He said: 'It's handbags innit - it's what happens on the pitch', and the two shook hands. But later, Ferdinand's girlfriend showed him footage posted on YouTube, and he believed Terry had used the racist insult.
Ferdinand told the court that if he had realised at the time he would have told officials.
He said: 'I would have been obviously very hurt and I probably wouldn't have reacted at the time because, being a professional, you can't do that. I probably would have let the officials know what happened and dealt with it after the game.
Clash: The two footballers played against each other again in January
'When someone brings your colour into it, it takes it to another level and it's very hurtful.'
Chelsea were down to nine men in the clash at Loftus Road, and Ferdinand and Terry began trading insults over a penalty claim, the court heard.
Ferdinand said: 'He called me a c*** and I called him a c*** back and he gave me a gesture as if to say my breath smelled.
'I said to him "How can you call me a c***? You shagged your team-mate's missus, you're a c***"."
This was a reference to Terry's alleged affair with Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Perroncel.
Ferdinand jogged down the pitch making a fist gesture to imply sex, he told the court.
Support: Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck arriving at Monday's trial
After the match, Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole told him: 'You can't talk to JT like that.'
Terry then met Ferdinand to ask what had happened. 'Mr Terry said "Do you think I racially abused you?" I was like "No",' Ferdinand told the court.
'I said "No, that never came out of my mouth". Then Ashley Cole popped his head round and said "Yeah, didn't you say that to me?" I said "I didn't say that at all".' He agreed it was just 'handbags', and 'banter', the court heard.
'I said to him "How can you call me a c***? You shagged your team-mate's missus, you're a c***". '
Anton Ferdinand speaking in court
Ferdinand said he was no stranger to being sworn at and under cross-examination from George Carter-Stephenson QC agreed he had also sworn at players.
The QPR defender said he was angry at Terry trying to get a penalty and 'he barged me in the back for no reason', he said.
The barrister told Ferdinand he has a tendency to 'paint yourself in the best light'.
Asked why he was so angry with Terry appealing for a penalty, Ferdinand, describing himself as a 'calm, collected player', said: 'Because I am a winner.'
Ferdinand added that he was angry because Terry had made a hand gesture at him indicating he had bad breath.
Proceedings in Court One have been punctuated by swear words but Ferdinand insisted he did not use those words off the pitch.
The QC asked the witness if by shouting abuse at him he was 'trying to get a rise out of Mr Terry and get him to react?'
'Probably, yes,' said Ferdinand. 'There wasn't long left in the game.'
In a statement made to police last November, Terry said he was offended by the accusation that he had used racist language.
He said his words to the other player were meant to make it clear that he had not used a racist insult, and that Ferdinand was a 'k*******' for thinking that he had.
The statement read: 'Whilst footballers are used to industrial language, using racist terms is completely unacceptable whatever (the) situation.
'I was completely taken aback by this remark as I have never been accused of something like that and I did not take his remark lightly at all, and took strong offence to his suggestion.'
