Man cleared of racial abuse after using nigger 'as term of endearment' A court has cleared a man who shouted the word "nigger" at a black man of racial abuse, after he claimed he was a rap music fan who used the term as an endearment. Christopher Jones was found by North Staffordshire magistrates to have used the term widely seen as one of racist abuse, but not to have used it in a hostile way. He told magistrates he used the term regularly on the streets around his home in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent. Jones was charged by police and in court pleaded not guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour which was racially aggravated. After his acquittal, Jones said he had more black friends than white ones and added: "I can be sat with a black friend and I will say 'What up, nigger?' and it's a term of endearment." Jones told his local newspaper, the Sentinel: "I am not a racist, it was used as slang. For me it is a term of endearment, not something racist. I like hip-hop and it is a word that is used all the time in music. Jones, whose Facebook page describes him as a "chief tokin futha mucka," was arrested in September after a row outside his home where the term was used, and during the incident his wife was injured. It was alleged he used the term while detained by the police. In court, his lawyer, Rob Holt, said: "He is from an estate where the phrase is frequently used. This word has crept into the English language and is used on a regular basis. His use of the word is popular culture. Peter Herbert, a part-time judge and chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: "Staffordshire is not known for its multiculturalism or hip-hop culture. The 'N' word is generally unacceptable in the UK, including in rap music circles and on the streets. It is much more common in the United States. News of the Staffordshire case and acquittal on charges of uttering racist abuse, comes after magistrates last week cleared a police officer in London whose colleagues allegedly heard him saying that black people "look like monkeys." Another officer was cleared after asking a black colleague if they were going home to "cook bananas." Earlier this year Chelsea captain John Terry was cleared by a magistrate of racial abuse after uttering the words "black cunt," but was fined and banned by footballing authorities. A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "Christopher Jones was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence after he repeatedly shouted from a window to a group on the street on 10 September 2012. Mr Jones accepted that he used the language alleged but denied it was motivated by hostility. This was accepted by the magistrates and Mr Jones was acquitted.