James White jailed 24 years for rape and abuse after Hillsborough shirt ban

James White, 36, was convicted of 14 offences including rape and domestic abuse against a woman he threatened with a knife. He had previously been banned from all UK football grounds.

Stockton man convicted of 14 offences including rape after five-week abuse campaign

A man previously banned from every football ground in the United Kingdom for mocking the victims of the Hillsborough disaster has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for rape, sexual assault, and domestic abuse, the Daily Express reports.

James White, 36, of St Michael's Crescent in Stockton, was found guilty on 9 June of 14 offences against a woman he subjected to a sustained campaign of violence and abuse over five weeks.

Warwick Crown Court heard that a relative of the victim contacted Warwickshire Police after she had been attacked by White, who was armed with a knife. Officers attending the address in Stockton found the victim with bruising across her face and further injuries to her back and torso. White had fled the scene but was located at a nearby pub shortly afterwards and arrested on 30 November 2025.

The victim told police that White had threatened her with a knife and used it to cut her on her abdomen. Investigators subsequently established that the abuse had begun on 17 October and continued through to the date of his arrest — a period encompassing violent and abusive behaviour, rape, and sexual assault. White pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted on every count.

DC Baylie Cairns of the Domestic Abuse and RASSO team said the victim had escaped the cycle of abuse "by having the courage to tell a family member it was taking place." Cairns added: "Over the course of five weeks, James White subjected the victim to a campaign of horrific abuse, violence and sexual assaults. She showed remarkable bravery and courage in speaking to me about the offences committed against her."

Cairns said the 24-year sentence would prevent White from "posing a risk to the victim and others," adding: "While nothing can undo the harm caused, we hope this sentence offers her some comfort and reassurance that justice has been served."

White had come to public attention in 2023 when he attended the FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City wearing a shirt bearing the number 97 and the words "Not Enough" — a reference widely interpreted as mocking the 97 Liverpool supporters killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. White told police the shirt related to his grandfather, who had died aged 97 and "didn't have enough kids." District Judge Mark Jabbitt, who presided over that case, said it was "hard to imagine a more offensive reference to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster."

White pleaded guilty to displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress in connection with the shirt incident. He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay £485 in costs, and banned from all UK football grounds for four years.

Source: Daily Express