Steven Naoum: Perth father who allegedly choked boy, 11, at junior soccer game fronts Joondalup court

A Perth father who allegedly choked an 11-year-old boy at a community soccer game has faced court for the first time. Steven James Naoum appeared briefly in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday on one count of impeding another person’s normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck. The 46-year-old, whose son was playing for Whitford City Football Club, is accused of grabbing the neck of a young boy in the opposing team during a junior soccer match at Abbeville Park in Mindarie on Sunday May 25. The young Mindarie Football Club player was not seriously hurt and Mr Naoum was banned by Whitford City Football Club from “all club activities with immediate effect, pending the outcome of legal proceedings”. Mr Naoum, from Watermans Bay, did not speak during his court hearing on Friday, other than to confirm his name and that he understood the allegations against him. It came after Magistrate Raelene Johnston read out the charge to the Perth dad, revealing there had allegedly been “20 children present when the offence was committed”, which she said aggravated the offending. Mr Naoum’s defence lawyer told the court he had made submissions last week, which police prosecutors would require several weeks to address. As a result, he asked for the matter to be adjourned to next month. Ms Johnston agreed and set the next court date for July 25. Mr Naoum declined to speak to media waiting outside the courthouse.