02 October 2023 , 16:34
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Dale Houghton, the Sheffield Wednesday fan who mocked the tragic death of Bradley Lowery, claimed it was "enjoyable banter" that "went too far".
Houghton, 31, pleaded guilty to a public order offence at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday. He was warned he could face prison by District Judge James Gould ahead of his sentencing, which will take place next month on November 17.
He admitted to causing harassment, alarm and distress during the Sky Bet Championship fixture between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland at Hillsborough last Friday. Houghton, whose actions were described as "utterly deplorable" by Gould, has been ordered that he attend a drug intervention programme due to testing.
The court heard how Houghton had described his actions as “enjoyable banter” that “went too far” during a police interview. They also heard he'd tested positive for cocaine after his arrest and had since lost his job as a window-fitter.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Bradley's mother, Gemma, condemned Houghton's "unforgivable" actions. She 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.
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"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."
She has since spoken exclusively to the Mirror, declaring: “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."
Bradley captured the hearts of the world during his brave battle with neuroblastoma (PA)Bradley sadly passed away at the age of six in 2017. The Sunderland fan struck up a heartwarming friendship with Jermain Defoe - a former Black Cats striker - during his battle with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer.
In response to the incident, Sheffield Wednesday fans set up a GoFundMe page to show support for the Bradley Lowery Foundation. At the time of writing - shortly after Houghton's appearance in court - more than £18,500 has been raised for the foundation.
Sheffield Wednesday announced shortly after the incident on Friday that they had launched an investigation of their own.
In addition to Houghton's sentencing next month, police have also applied for a football banning order from stadiums.