Jamie Michael, an Iraq War veteran from Penygraig in South Wales, says he has been barred from coaching his daughter’s youth football team despite being acquitted of inciting racial hatred.
The ban comes after Michael referred to Axel Rudakubana—the man convicted of the Southport children’s dance class murders—as a “creature” in a social media video.
Michael insists his words targeted Rudakubana alone and not any wider group, but local authorities have cited his comments as “dehumanising language” in court documents lodged with London’s High Court.
Trial and Acquittal
The 47-year-old ex-serviceman faced prosecution for a 12-minute Facebook video posted shortly after the attack on July 29 last year.
The clip, titled “This is what I think,” was watched by over 16,000 people and expressed Michael’s anger and frustration over the killings.
Michael spent 20 days in custody after being charged, but jurors acquitted him in just 17 minutes earlier this year.
During his trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, he argued that he was not calling for violence, but urging people to organise community action and work through councils and the police.
Continuing Consequences
Despite the acquittal, the knock-on effects have been severe.
A “child protection concern” lodged against Michael was ruled “substantiated” shortly after the verdict.
As a result, the Football Association of Wales has prevented him from coaching his daughter’s team.
Michael now describes the situation as “mind-boggling,” arguing that labeling Rudakubana a “creature” should not make him unfit to work with children.
He told the Telegraph: “Rudakubana has to be one of the most evil people on the planet— even the judge called him evil.
And yet if I label him a ‘creature’ I am deemed not fit to work with kids.
There is something very, very wrong with this system.”
Background on Michael
Michael’s life before this controversy has been extraordinary.
He was an apprentice footballer with Manchester United, Oxford United, and Cardiff City before serving with the Royal Marines in Iraq in 2003.
He later worked in private security in both Iraq and Afghanistan and battled a rare blood cancer diagnosed in 2014.
He has a long history of volunteering with children, having coached his daughter’s under-15s side and previously running the Penygraig Boys and Girls Club to prevent its closure.
Michael insists he is not racist, clarifying that his negative comments were about violent individuals, not migrants as a whole.
Details of Rudakubana’s Attack
Axel Rudakubana was jailed for at least 52 years for the murder of three young girls—Bebe King, six; Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine—along with the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults.
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and later moved to Southport, Merseyside.
Michael’s Facebook post condemned Rudakubana’s actions and expressed anger that he had come from outside Southport to commit such horrific crimes.
Legal and Public Reactions
Michael is now suing the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board, the local authority, and the Football Association of Wales for £25,000 in damages over reputational harm.
His case is supported by the Free Speech Union, which has also covered his legal fees.
Lord Young, the union’s chairman, questioned why authorities are “protecting the reputation of a child murderer at the expense of a decorated ex-serviceman who risked his life to defend our country.”
The safeguarding board has declined further comment, citing the seriousness of their responsibilities, which were established after past tragedies, including the Soham murders in 2002.
Michael Speaks Out
Michael says being barred from coaching has been “a horrible feeling” and fears that people might assume he is violent or a paedophile.
He hopes publicising the ruling will make it clear that his intentions were never harmful to children.
“I went public to ensure my community understands I am not a danger,” he said.
“If labeling Rudakubana a ‘creature’ makes me unfit to work with kids, then the system is very badly wrong.”
What Comes Next
The ex-serviceman plans to continue his legal fight to overturn the ban, with backing from the Free Speech Union and his legal team.
Meanwhile, the discussion raises wider questions about free speech, safeguarding, and the balance between public outrage and individual rights in the aftermath of shocking crimes.
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