Bradley Lowery: Fan sentenced over mocking death of child mascot

A Sheffield Wednesday fan has been given a suspended prison sentence over mocking the death of Bradley Lowery death.

Dale Houghton, the fan who is 32, from Rotherham, was seen laughing as he held up an image of the six-year-old at a match against Sunderland. This is the team that the young fan supported before he passed away due to cancer in 2017.

Houghton was also banned from attending any football match for the next five years. His actions were branded "disgraceful".


Connie Coombs who was defending Houghton said that the actions of the fan were a result of being under the influence of alcohol. She said her client accepted his actions were "outrageous", "deplorable", "atrocious" and a "heinous act".

Bradley was a mascot for both Sunderland and England. In the past, he had formed a close bond with his team's striker Jermain Defoe.

Bradley's mother during the court trial said that the actions of Houghton's actions would cause trauma to other children suffering from cancer.

"I feel upset that these men have used this image of Bradley in order to get a reaction from the Sunderland fans," said the mother of the young mascot.

The Bradley Lowery Foundation which was started by the mascot's mother released a statement which read 'Whatever happened to 'cancer has no colours' let alone respect for a family that lost their baby to cancer.'