Terry racism trial continue

The Chelsea captain is at Westminster Magistrates' Court over allegations he racially abused QPR's Anton Ferdinand.

After the conclusion of the prosecution argument, Mr Terry's legal team asked for the case to be dismissed.

But chief magistrate Howard Riddle decided there was a case to answer and the hearing will continue.

The case relates to a comment allegedly made to Queens Park Rangers defender Mr Ferdinand when the teams played last October, Kazinform has learnt from BBC News.

George Carter-Stephenson QC had argued Mr Ferdinand was an unreliable witness and lip reading experts, who had viewed television footage, agreed it was impossible to clarify what was said.

He said the case was "so weak and tenuous it does not warrant it going any further".

In reply, prosecutor Duncan Penny said it was "unlikely" that someone's first reaction to an accusation of racist abuse would be to repeat the same words, which is Mr Terry's defence.

Mr Penny said: "Mr Terry's defence is 'my immediate reaction was to use exactly the same words, not surprise, nothing of that nature, just to repeat the words back.

"You could form the view that is very unlikely."

The magistrate said it would be "inappropriate" to explain why he felt the footballer had a case to answer at this stage.

The 31-year-old former England captain denies a racially-aggravated public order offence.

Earlier, the court was played an interview between FA investigator Jennifer Kennedy and Mr Terry carried out a week after the game.

In it, Mr Terry said: "I have been called a lot of things in my football career on and off the pitch, but being called a racist I am not prepared to take.

"That's why I came out and made my statement immediately.

"I am not having Anton thinking that about me or anyone else. That's not my character at all."

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