Football fan who mocked death of six-year-old Bradley Lowery avoids jail

A football fan who used a picture of late Sunderland mascot Bradley Lowery to mock supporters of the club during a match has avoided being sent to prison.

Sheffield Wednesday fan Dale Houghton, 32, taunted fans with a picture of the cancer sufferer Bradley, who died aged six in 2017, on his phone during a match at Hillsborough Stadium on September.

In the months before Bradley’s death, he led England out at Wembley alongside former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, who was his long-time supporter.

Houghton, of Rotherham, who admitted a public order offence at a previous hearing, was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work.

District Judge Marcus Waite, who sentenced Houghton, described his actions as “utterly appalling” and “disgraceful”.

Mr Waite added: “You showed callous disrespect to a brave young man who was righty held in the highest esteem by football fans everywhere.”

The judge told Sheffield Magistrates’ Court: “Your actions on that day were utterly appalling. Your behaviour was disgraceful.”

He also gave Houghton, a Sheffield Wednesday season ticket holder for 25 years, a five-year football banning order and ordered him to pay £154 victim surcharge and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs.

He said that, although the offence was almost spontaneous, the defendant took some time to Google the image of Bradley on his phone.

The judge said to Houghton that, during this brief moment: “Did you not think to yourself ‘what the hell am I doing?’.”

But Mr Waite said he believed the defendant had shown “genuine remorse” after hearing how he had lost his job as a window fitter over the incident and a subsequent job, once his new employers found out what he had done.

The court was also told how Houghton had moved out of his parents’ home due to the backlash over his actions and his relationship with his partner had also suffered.

Related Article

Earlier, prosecutor Mark Hughes said the incident happened after Houghton and his brother had been engaged in “standard football banter” with a group of 200 Sunderland fans.

He explained it escalated into them taunting each other with the badges of their rivals – Newcastle United and Sheffield United.

At this point, Houghton Googled the image of Bradley Lowery and was photographed showing it to the Sunderland fans and laughing “to piss them off”, the court heard.

The image was shared on Twitter and caused widespread outrage.

Houghton, who had been drinking before the match, left the ground when Wednesday went 2-0 down, to go to the pub, and only found out later the scale of the turmoil he had caused, the court heard.

Connie Coombs, defending said Houghton accepted his actions were “outrageous, “deplorable,” “atrocious” and a “heinous act”.

Ms Coombs said it was “a moment of utter stupidity in the context of back-and-forth between himself and the Sunderland fans”.

She said alcohol contributed to the offence, which was “out of character”.

Ms Coombs said: “He’s effectively having to start his life again,” adding that he thought this was “understandable and justified”.

She said: “He wishes to express his deep remorse, certainly to Bradley Lowery‘s family, as well to the general public.”

Bradley was diagnosed with rare cancer neuroblastoma when he was just 18 months old and his family set up a foundation to raise money for cancer treatment.

In a statement read to the court, his mother Gemma said Haughton’s actions had caused her to suffer “emotional turmoil”.

Houghton, of Wickersley, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress by displaying any writing, sign or other visible representation, which is threatening, abusive or insulting.

The defendant wore a blue suit with a white shirt and patterned tie as he sat alone in the glass-fronted dock.

When he arrived at court he was asked by reporters whether he was sorry for what he had done and he replied: “Yes. Extremely sorry.”

He made no comment as he left the court after being sentenced.

Additional reporting by Press Association.