02 October 2023 , 15:19
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The Mum of Bradley Lowery said the sickening behaviour of a football fan who mocked her son’s death was like a “dagger to the heart”.
Window fitter Dale Houghton, 31, was told on Monday told by a Judge he could be jailed for his "utterly deplorable" behaviour after admitting a public order offence. The court heard he'd tested positive with cocaine after his arrest and had since lost his job.
The prosecutor at Sheffield magistrates' court said the fan saw it as “enjoyable banter” that “went too far”. But Bradley's mum Gemma from Hartlepool described it as an "unforgivable" act.
Houghton and another man were seen laughing on Friday as Sunderland fans were taunted with an enlarged mobile phone shot of their beloved supporter who died of cancer aged six. Bradley’s mum Gemma, 40, was visited by Durham police after the incident to check if she was okay.
She told The Mirror she believes the Sheffield Wednesday fans showed no "remorse" as in a later chat group, there was a suggestion Bradley didn't deserve to get the 'special treatment' he got.
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She told The Mirror: “To be honest when I first saw it I was upset and a little bit angry, using my child in a negative light,” she said. “However as the day went on and I saw the impact and the backlash the men got.
"I'm the sort of person who tries to see the good in people, so I started trying to justify their actions, they’ve just been beaten 3-0. When I did my impact victim statement I thought the backlash that they got was probably enough punishment. But then I got sent some messages from a group chat they’d been in which you can clearly see there was no remorse.
“They said that Bradley shouldn’t have got special treatment and that’s when it really, really hit us. It was like a dagger to my heart and I got really really upset about that. What they did was intentional and they had no remorse for doing it. That’s when I thought ‘actually you are not very nice people and you deserve to be punished’.’
But she added she did not feel she can say if they should be jailed, adding: “I feel like I would leave it up to the judge."
Bradley Lowery with Jermain Defoe in 2017 (Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images)
Gemma Lowery, mum of Bradley Lowery (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)The pictures circulated on social media, at the weekend showing two men laughing at Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium.
Sunderland fan Bradley captured the nation's heart during his battle with neuroblastoma, but succumbed to the illness in 2017. He was a mascot for his beloved club and, in the months before his death, led England out at Wembley alongside former Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe.
Houghton, from Rotherham, who admitted causing harassment, alarm and distress, was bailed and will return to court to be sentenced on November 17th. District Judge James Gould told him "your actions are utterly deplorable" and that all sentence options were open, including a prison sentence. He was told he had to take part in a drug intervention scheme.
Dale Houghton (left) pleaded guilty at Sheffield Magistrates' CourtThe disgraced fan now faces a maximum of six months in prison for the Public Order offence when he is sentenced next month. It is believed he has also been banned from the local football club he plays for.
The court heard how Sheffield Wednesday's Chief Operating Officer, Liam Dooley, said the club "wholly condemn" the "outrageous and utterly deplorable behaviour."
Defending Houghton, Connie Combs, said her client realised he was "out of line" and was "disgusted" with his behaviour. The Judge, James Gould, bailed Hougton on the condition he does not attend any football matches in the UK or go within a mile of Hillsborough on match days.
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In a victim impact statement read to the court, Bradley’s mum said: "This image made me feel so many emotions. I find it hard to put into words. It is not just disrespectful to Bradley but also to other people who are going through the emotional trauma of dealing with cancer.
"This image portrays negatively. I feel upset that these two men used this image to get a reaction from Sunderland fans. It was unforgivable. I have nothing but loving memories of Bradley."
Prosecutor Jade Short said Houghton's antics caused a "huge public revulsion". Since the shocking incident last Friday, more than £18,000 has been raised for the Bradley Lowery Foundation.
South Yorkshire Police have applied for a football banning order. A 27-year-old man who was also arrested has been released on bail.
The outpouring of support erupted after Sheffield Wednesday women's football team and their fans set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds. Gemma told The Mirror she had received messages from all around the world.
"Taking the positive out of the situation, we have had amazing support and have raised fantastic money towards the holiday home for children with any illness who have spent time in hospital. People who have terminally ill children will be prioritised to go and make special memories and get that special treatment - that that man said Bradley didn't deserve - because every child deserves that."
She said Sheffield Wednesday's women's team showed us that they were not all like that and it was an "isolated" incident: "Cancer has no colours no matter what team you support."
Bradley Lowery on his 6th birthday with mum Gemma in 2019A later post on the Foundation’s website, added: “...We are honestly so overwhelmed. We are so thankful to SWFC and all of the fans for showing their support. We know the views of a couple are not the views of the majority.”
The SWFC fundraiser had said: “In light of the recent, sickening images circulating from the football fixture…Sheffield Wednesday fans would like to raise funds for the Bradley Lowery Foundation to show our support and stand up against this type of behaviour in football.”
Houghton’s family were said to be “incredibly upset” after receiving threats on social media. One wrote on Houghton’s Facebook profile: “Let’s all go to Rotherham and find you, scared?” with others passing around his home address.
On his Facebook site he said he worked for an orthopaedic company but the firm quickly pointed out he had finished working for them a long time ago.
The disgraced fan carried out his “sickening” jibe, despite having seen tragedy himself. His school pal was killed in a car crash aged 15 and he later began raising cash for his local children’s hospital. His birthday fundraiser in 2019 said: “For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Charity. I’ve chosen this charity because their mission means a lot to me…”
South Yorkshire Police were asked if they were investigating threats made to Houghton since the incident and said: "We have received reports of malicious communications that are being investigated."These reports are connected to this investigation but do not directly relate to Dale Houghton."