Football fan chokes child at Championship match as horrified parents look on

NewsJason Evans Court and crime reporter16:07, 06 Mar 2026Updated 17:54, 09 Mar 2026A football supporter throttled a young fan in front of the boy's parents during a Championship match, a court has heard.

An intoxicated Daniel Blair lifted the child off the ground while gripping him in a chokehold as fellow fans desperately tried to break his grip. After being arrested the defendant offered to supply police with 20 bags of cocaine before urinating in his cell.

Locking the defendant up a judge at Swansea Crown Court told him he had carried out an "unprovoked attack on a child" while heavily intoxicated and said immediate custody was the only appropriate sentence. The dad-of-one was also slapped with a football banning order prohibiting him from attending any matches for the next three years.

David Singh, prosecuting, told the court the incident happened on January 17 this year at Swansea City's home stadium. He said the defendant had travelled from the west Midlands to watch his team Birmingham City play the Swans and he said Blair was noted to be heavily intoxicated before the match kicked off at 5.30pm.

The court heard that Blair was arrested shortly after the incident and when searched was found to be carrying three snap-seal bags containing cocaine. After being taken to Swansea Central police station the defendant offered to supply the officer who was dealing with him 20 bags of cocaine before urinating in his cell. In his subsequent interview the 37-year-old "exercised his right not to answer any questions".

In an impact statement which was read to the court by the prosecution barrister, the victim said the incident had left him feeling nervous and always looking over this shoulder when he goes out. He said the assault had affected his appetite, sleep patterns, and education and said he now feels anxious when going to football matches. He added he sometimes experiences "choking feelings" even when nobody is touching his neck.

Daniel Joseph Blair, of Wharrad Close, Redditch, West Midlands, had previously pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, possession of cocaine, and criminal damage – urinating in his cell – when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 10 previous convictions for 16 offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Class A drug supply, public disorder, and three counts of assault by beating – one of which saw him spitting at a former partner.

Caitlin Brazel, for Blair, said the defendant was "deeply ashamed and no doubt embarrassed" at his actions and had specifically asked her to apologise to the victim and his family. She said the incident had not been motivated by malice but by her client being "far too boisterous in drink" and she said all the defendant's previous convictions had been linked to alcohol and that he knows he has to address that issue. The barrister said Blair has a three-year-old daughter who is his "pride and joy" and has a job which he is passionate about.

Recorder Simon Stephenson told Blair he had carried out an "unprovoked attack on a child" at a football match in front of the boy's family – an offence aggravated by the defendant being heavily intoxicated at the time. He said the assault had had a "severe psychological impact" on the young victim.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Blair was sentenced to two years and four weeks in prison comprising two years for the strangulation and four weeks for the criminal damage to run consecutively. No separate penalty was imposed for the simple possession of cocaine.

The recorder said even if the sentence had been one that was capable of being suspended – that is a sentence of two years or less – the offending was so serious only immediate custody was appropriate.

Blair was also made subject to a football banning order prohibiting him from attending any regulated football match for the next three years and from going within three miles of Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium when the team are playing at home.

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