Five men have been charged over the organisation of violent disorder after a funeral hearse was driven onto a football pitch in Gateshead, Northumbria Police have said.
The charges follow an investigation into a number of incidents from summer 2023 that police believe are connected. They include the hearse being driven onto the pitch at a Dunston UTC v Gateshead match at Dunston Football Club. There were also reports of criminal damage across addresses in the Dunston and Byker areas, and a report of a stolen vehicle from the Durham area.
At the stadium on Wellington Road, a hearse and a Subaru car were driven onto the pitch during half-time on 21 July 2023. Those inside the hearse threw leaflets onto the pitch before abandoning the vehicle and driving off in the Subaru. The match was later called off. The leaflets included a number of personal allegations about two individuals.
Northumbria Police said the five men who have been charged are due to appear at Sunderland and South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court this week.
The men are Carl Barron, 43, of Grange Villa, County Durham, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal; Ian Boddy, 44, previously of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, charged with conspiracy to steal and participating in the activities of an organised crime group; Darren Kay, 31, of Chester-Le-Street, County Durham, charged with conspiracy to make threats to kill; Graeme Rutherford, 54, of Birtley, Gateshead, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to make threats to kill; and John Wright, 42, of Tow Law, County Durham, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal.
Det Ch Insp David Johnson, of Northumbria Police, said: “As ever, we would ask the public to refrain from any kind of speculation – both in the community and online – which could negatively impact the proceedings.”