An EFL striker worked out escape plans from his own home with his wife after he was terrorised by his brother, who made chilling threats of rape and violence, before raiding a sibling’s home
A professional footballer’s family was terrorised by his brother, who made threats of rape and violence against his own relatives, before carrying out a horrific attack.
Dane May has been jailed for his relentless harassment of Huddersfield Town striker Alfie May, their brother Sam May, and their mum Deborah Rawlings over the course of 18 months, which culminated in a terrifying bid to attack Sam with a paving slab after smashing his way into his home.
So alarming was the drug addict’s vendetta against his horrified family that his mum was forced to move home for her safety, and his youngest brother – League One star Alfie – installed high-tech security at his house and worked out ‘escape plans’ with his wife.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
In one particularly sinister message sent to his oldest sibling Sam, Dane warned: “I always said you would see me on the news and on the front page of every newspaper for what I would do to prove how f***** up I really am.”
Details of how the lives of the League One forward, Sam and Mrs Rawlings were targeted by the 38-year-old were revealed at his sentencing hearing for three offences of stalking from November 2023 and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in April last year.
Maidstone Crown Court heard after Dane inherited £120,000 from his late father at the end of 2023, the family believed he used the money to fuel his drug addiction. It was also said there may have been “some dispute” over the division of assets from the estate.
James Benson, prosecuting, said although regarded as “a friendly, affable and good brother” when not abusing drugs and alcohol, while intoxicated the defendant became “highly abusive and threatening”.
He and Sam were said to have suffered childhood trauma, but while Sam was able to move on in his life, Dane was either “unable” to do the same or “refused to”.
Instead, he “transferred his negative feelings about his past” onto his loved ones – expressing resentment at his siblings’ happy lives – before a misguided “revenge” attack on Sam’s home when he wrongly believed his family had given statements to the police.
Sam had suffered threats of violence from his brother up to three times a week, so told Dane he was not at his West Malling home in Kent.
Dane flew a drone over the property to try to prove he was lying, and another time rammed his Ford Ranger into the front security gates.
He turned up at his house demanding to be let in, and called ahead, warning: “I’m coming to get you. You’d better open the door.” In another threat, he told construction firm boss Sam: “Do you not get how dangerous I am? Tonight you can die with me.”
Two weeks before his arrest, he visited their mum’s in a “very angry” mood and threatened to burn the house down.
He phoned Sam, threatening to kill him and rape a young relative, and bombarded him the next day with hundreds of messages and death threats.
On April 29, when seemingly high, he again phoned Sam, ordering him to retract a police statement and, swearing on his own daughter’s life, warned: “Your family will watch me kill you”.
The court heard Sam had reported his sibling’s concerning behaviour, but not provided any statement.
Alfie, a former Chatham Town, Hythe Town, Doncaster Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Charlton Athletic player, who in 2024 was named EFL Player of the Year, also became a victim from November 2023.
He received abusive phone calls at night, and when he moved away from Kent, didn’t tell his brother his new address.
After a transfer to Birmingham City, Dane threatened to hurt the striker and his children, as well as destroy his marriage with lies he called “dirty secrets”.
The defendant threatened to find out where he lived and called Alfie’s wife when he was playing matches away from home.
Mr Benson said: “He expressed resentment at Alfie and Sam’s happy and successful lives, with both brothers having careers, families and family homes. Dane suggested he would put an end to it all.”
Alfie encouraged his brother to seek help, but he and his scared wife installed cameras, alarms and smoke deterrents at home and discussed escape routes in case Dane carried out his threats.
Mrs Rawlings had previously been a victim of her son’s harassment in 2014, which led to a conviction for common assault and using violence to gain entry.
He threatened he was “coming to kill her” in March 2025, and showed up at her home the following month while she was away, saying he would “burn the house down” through her Ring doorbell.
On April 30, Dane made multiple threatening calls to Sam and to their mum, prompting them to contact police.
Alfie was contacted when preparing for an evening match against Blackpool. He phoned Sam to warn him he was “in imminent danger”.
Dane had contacted two of Sam’s employees, saying he would “finish off” his brother. Sam requested police attend his home.
At 10pm, Alfie told Sam their brother had phoned to say he was “on his way to kill him”, prompting Sam to again call police. But before officers arrived, Dane was at the gates, screaming to be let in, snorting cocaine and telling his brother “I promise you, your time has come”.
He tried to kick his way through the large glass doors but only caused one to bow and damaged the frame. Dane then tried to smash his way in using a garden chair. Having failed, he armed himself with a paving stone and struck the back door with it three times.
Dane entered the house through the smashed door, while Sam was on the phone to the police, and was heard shouting “stop” and urging his wife and child who had run upstairs to safety to call for help.
An enraged Dane then kicked or stamped on his brother’s thigh while holding the paving stone at head height.
“Sam May was petrified and to protect himself punched out at the defendant,” said Mr Benson.
“He described having a fight, with the defendant being ‘as strong as an ox’. But he [Sam] overpowered him, put him to the ground, the slab fell to the ground, and he kicked and punched him numerous times to neutralise the fight.”
Sam called for his wife to bring down a dressing gown cord to tie him up and he was restrained. Police finally arrived to be met by an “extremely upset” victim, who shouted at officers for not taking him more seriously earlier.
When arrested, Dane could be heard “whimpering and apologising”. He suffered a seizure and required treatment from paramedics.
Alfie told police he believed he “bore the brunt” of the abuse being the youngest of four brothers and “likely to offer least resistance”.
Dane, of Edington Way, West Malling, initially denied the charges but pleaded guilty on the first day of a trial in December.
Defence counsel Kieran Brand said Dane’s poor mental health was exacerbated by his use of class A drugs in “misguided efforts” to “numb the pain” of his childhood trauma.
Judge Catherine Moore, sentencing on June 4, gave Dane a 10-and-a-half year extended sentence for public protection.
Judge Moore said: “It is quite clear your behaviour terrorised your family members and you have left them petrified. The impact of your actions continues to resonate for each of them even though you remain in custody.”
Judge Moore made an indefinite restraining order banning Dane from contacting the victims and from going to Doncaster, Huddersfield or any football ground where Alfie is present.