Man charged after Scottish referee’s details leaked online amid Celtic penalty controversy
A 19-year-old man has been charged with a data protection offence after referee John Beaton's personal information was leaked online following a controversial penalty decision in a Celtic match. The incident led to Beaton and his family being placed under police surveillance due to safety concerns. Police Scotland and the Scottish Football Association have condemned the leak and broader hostility toward match officials.
- ▪A 19-year-old man was charged after referee John Beaton's personal details were shared online.
- ▪The leak occurred after Beaton awarded a stoppage-time penalty to Celtic in their 3-2 win over Motherwell.
- ▪Beaton and his family were placed under police surveillance for their safety following the data breach.
- ▪The Scottish Football Association condemned the leak, linking it to growing hostility toward referees.
- ▪The controversial penalty decision intensified scrutiny on officiating standards during the title race.
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SportFootballMan charged after Scottish referee’s details leaked online amid Celtic penalty controversyPersonal information relating to John Beaton was leaked on the internet, leading to him and his family being placed under police surveillanceRyan McDougall Saturday 16 May 2026 07:56 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2977622To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/celtic-referee-john-beaton-motherwell-hearts-b2977792.html","title":"Man charged after referee’s details leaked online amid Celtic penalty controversy"}}open image in…
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