A teenager has denied sending a racist message to England defender Jess Carter on Instagram.
Aaryan Aggarwal, 19, of Dickens Rise in Chigwell, Essex, pleaded not guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court to sending a public communication that was offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing. The allegation relates to a message said to have been sent on 17 July 2025.
The court heard that Carter was playing in England’s quarter-final at the Women’s Euro 2025 tournament at the time the message was sent, and that the incident followed a game against Sweden. Prosecutor Grace Court told the hearing: “Following a game against Sweden, she received a message.” Court said the message read “well done, stupid ugly” before using a racial slur.
Aggarwal was arrested in September in connection with the police investigation. Deputy district judge Christopher Maynard said his trial would take place at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on 3 March, and released him on bail on the condition that he does not contact Carter or post about her online. “If you breach that condition or fail to turn up to court when you’re required to do so, it’s likely you’ll be arrested and brought into custody,” Maynard warned him.
Carter, who is 28 and from Warwick, spent six years at Chelsea FC Women before moving to US-based side Gotham FC in 2024. She was part of the England squad that won their first major women’s tournament at Euro 2022.