A MAN has been charged with a public order offense after a picture of Bradley Lowery was used to “taunt” Sunderland fans.
Two men put on display a picture of a six-year-old Black Cats fan who tragically died of cancer in 2017 on Friday night.
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Dale Houghton, 31, has been charged with public disorder after Bradley Lowery’s image was used to ‘taunt’ Sunderland fans
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Jermain Defoe pictured with mascot Bradley in 2017. Credit: Getty Images – Getty
The reports came after Sheffield Wednesday’s match against Sunderland at Hillsborough.
Dale Houghton, 31, from Rotherham, was arrested yesterday and has now been charged with a Section 4a public order offence.
Houghton has been remanded in custody and will appear at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning.
South Yorkshire Police have also applied for a football banning order.
A 27-year-old man, also arrested yesterday, has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
Bradley was the mascot of his beloved Sunderland and, in the months before his death, led England at Wembley alongside his hero – former Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe.
Pictures circulated on X, formerly Twitter, showing the two men laughing, one of them holding Bradley’s picture up to the camera.
In a Facebook post, the Bradley Lowery Foundation, a charity set up by the boy’s mother Gemma, said: “This is so sad to see – whatever happens to ‘cancer has no colour’, let alone respect for a family who have lost their child to cancer?”
Young Bradley was a regular Sunderland mascot, holding the hand of his idol Defoe.
In June 2017, he penned an emotional tribute to his “best friend” Bradley – saying his favorite part of playing for Sunderland was getting on the pitch with the brave youngster.
Defoe said he was devastated when he discovered the brave child could only have a few weeks to live.
After Bradley’s death, social media was flooded with messages filled with blue heart emojis in support of him.
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His mother shared her heartbreak on Facebook Credit: Getty – Contributor
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Sunderland fan tragically lost his life to cancer in 2017. Credit: Twiter / @Sheffield Wednesday
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education