A football fan who gave a Nazi salute at a Premier League game was today banned from matches for three years after being caught by a Tottenham Hotspur director.
Leighton Johnson, 43, was filmed by businessman Jon Reuben as he put his finger under his nose and raised his arm in an insult to Tottenham Hotspur fans.
The Swansea City supporter claimed he raised his arm to wave to family members in the home stand at the Liberty Stadium - and his finger was indicating he was going for a pint.
But Mr Reuben's mobile phone video was used as evidence to be shown to a jury to convict Johnson of a race hate crime.
A jury who watched the video refused to believe Johnson's 'pack of lies' and convicted him of causing racially aggravated alarm or distress.
At a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court today, Johnson was handed a three-year football ban.
Johnson was at the match in April last year against the North London club which was described as having a 'long association with the Jewish community'.
Spurs associate director Mr Reuben took out his mobile phone to film fans celebrating a dramatic late 3-1 win.
But he also recorded Johnson making the raised-arm Nazi salute towards the directors' box.
Ian Wright, prosecuting, said: 'Johnson raised his left arm and put his fingers across his lip to mimic a moustache.'
Mr Wright said the chairman of Spurs, directors and a 'significant proportion' of its fans were of Jewish descent - and that as a football fan, Johnson was well aware of that fact when he 'performed a Nazi or Hitler salute'.
The court heard Mr Reuben, who is himself Jewish, had been upset by Johnson's gesture.
He emailed the video clip to Swansea City who identified Johnson before passing the footage to police. The jury was then shown the clip.
Johnson denied making a Nazi salute - saying he thought he had been waving to his family 'to let them know I was going for a drink or a cigarette'.
Asked whether he was aware of the association of Spurs and people of the Jewish faith he replied that 'he'd never heard that before.'
Mr Wright described called Johnson's versions of events as 'a pack of lies'.
Judge Paul Thomas QC told Johnson: 'I cannot think of any more offensive than people of Jewish faith being subjected to a Nazi salute.'
Johnson, of Swansea, now faces a three year ban from football, a 12-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay over £1,000 in costs.