POLICE

A 31-year old Sheffield Wednesday supporter has pleaded guilty to a public order offence after using a picture of Bradley Lowery to mock Sunderland fans

Dale Houghton, aged 31 of Wickersley, was captured in a moment of laughter whilst holding up a photo of the six-year-old during a match against Sunderland on Friday (29 September) the team Bradley supported until his passing from cancer in 2017.

Houghton pleaded guilty to the section 4a public order offence at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court today (2 October)

District judge James Gould described his actions as “utterly deplorable”.

The judge added all sentencing options were open, including a prison term.

He was bailed with conditions and will be sentenced on November 17.

Police arrested a 29-year-old man after a pursuit crashed into the driver of an oncoming van in Aughton

South Yorkshire Police engaged in the pursuit of a black Seat Leon shortly after 10pm on Monday (25 September).

It’s reported the car was traveling on cloned plates and failed to stop for officers in an unmarked car.

The pursuit continued to West Lane in Aughton where the Seat collided with a white van travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the van was taken to hospital, but suffered non serious injuries.

All three of the occupants fled the scene after the collision, but one 29-year-old man was detained by a police dog. 

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said “enquiries into the incident are ongoing.”

A 37-year-old man who stole cable from the railway has been sentenced following a British Transport Police investigation

Chad Baldwin, of Masbrough Street, pleaded guilty to theft, obstructing the railway and possession of a class B drug and was sentenced to two months in jail suspended for 18 months by Sheffield magistrates on Monday August 21.

He was also ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation order and complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard how Baldwins DNA was found to be linked to multiple incidents of cable theft this year at two sites in Rotherham.

On 19 March officers were called to an area of track and discovered  the theft of 20 metres of 48 core cable.

The following day officers were alerted to a cable theft in progress at a different location and when they attended found Baldwin hiding in woods nearby.

Close to the site approximately two metres of cable had been stolen from the side of a bridge. Officers found two hand saws at the scene one which still contained remnants of cable. The DNA on the hand saws belonged to Baldwin.

Baldwin was arrested for theft and during a search an amount of amphetamine was discovered.

Investigating officer PC Matthew France said: “A common misconception is that cable theft is a victimless crime. This is not true – Baldwin’s illegal activity resulted in huge delays and disruption to services which impact then everyday users of the railway. These delays resulted in Network Rail paying out almost £18k to train operating companies – ultimately it is the passenger that pays the price through disruption to their travel plans.”