An arrest warrant has been issued for a man who attacked a celebrant during the funeral service of his son, one of seven people killed in a head-on collision involving a police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough.
Gye Worthy, 40, had admitted common assault and resisting arrest following a disturbance at the service for his son Cole Worthy on 9 September at Teesside Crematorium. According to BBC News, Worthy failed to appear for sentencing at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday, having made no contact with his legal representatives or the court to explain his non-attendance.
Cole Worthy, 17, was one of five young men who died when their Volkswagen Passat collided head-on with a marked armed police vehicle in the early hours of 22 August. The other victims in the car were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, and Theo Rae, 17. Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, were also killed in the crash.
Deputy District Judge Julia Baggs approved the prosecution's application for a warrant to be issued "not backed by bail", meaning Worthy would be held in custody once located and brought before the court for a future hearing date.
The judge stated:
In these circumstances, I do accept the application for a warrant not backed by bail.
What were the other charges?
Worthy, of Ruskin Avenue, Middlesbrough, faced sentencing on multiple matters. He was due to be sentenced for stealing four bottles of wine valued at £30 from a shop on 8 October. According to The Northern Echo, the court had already issued a separate arrest warrant after Worthy failed to appear the previous day on allegations relating to theft of food and drink and possession of controlled drugs.
The separate allegations involved food and drink allegedly taken from a Co-op on 22 September and possession of zopiclone and pregabalin on 6 October, according to AOL News. The court was also told that Worthy had failed to attend a probation appointment for preparation of a pre-sentence report.
What happened at the funeral?
Worthy had previously admitted assaulting celebrant Paul Maull during the funeral service for Cole Worthy. The service took place on the same day as the funeral of PC Matthew Blades, one of the officers killed in the A66 collision.
The incident at the funeral occurred against the backdrop of significant community grief. Funerals were held for PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, with large crowds gathering to pay respects. A fundraiser for the families exceeded £1.2 million, and the Home Office confirmed that Cleveland Police would receive the £2 million pledged after the crash by the end of November, though police and crime commissioner figures indicated that crash-related policing costs were forecast to exceed £5 million.
How did the crash occur?
PC Blades and PC Tom Clough were travelling along the A66 when their vehicle was struck head-on by the Passat travelling in the wrong direction. The pair had been in their vehicle looking for the Passat after its cloned registration plates triggered a camera, although they were not involved in the pursuit that preceded the crash, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Prior to the fatal collision, a property on a street in Acklam, Middlesbrough, linked to the Worthy family had been rammed by a car shortly before the crash.
What happens next?
Once located, Worthy is to be held in custody and brought before the court. The court has not yet set a date for his next hearing.
