- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
Five men have been charged after a hearse was driven on to a football pitch by people wearing masks, forcing a non-league game to be abandoned three years ago.
asserted
game → see → masks
Police launched an investigation called Operation Sentinel after a pre-season friendly between local rival football clubs Dunston and Gateshead in July 2023, with the match called off at half-time after the hearse was left in the centre of the pitch.
asserted
hearse → launch → pitch
One onlooker captured the bizarre moment the vehicle appeared on the pitch at Dunston's UTS Stadium along with a second car, with both vehicles spinning in circles while leaflets were thrown from the windows in apparent protest.
asserted
leaflets → capture → protest
Eventually masked men left the hearse and joined the second car, which was driven off the pitch and out of the stadium.
asserted
which → leave → stadium
Another clip showed masked men fleeing the stadium, smashing through a barrier on the way.
asserted
men → show → way
Northumbria Police today confirmed five men have been charged with a string of offences, saying they were due to appear at Sunderland and South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on either Wednesday or Friday this week.
asserted
they → confirm → Wednesday
The five include 43-year-old Carl Barron, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal.
asserted
five → include → threats
Ian Boddy, 44, is accused of conspiracy to steal and taking part in the activities of an organised crime group.
asserted
Boddy → accuse → group
Two cars including a hearse entered the pitch as Gateshead took on Dunston in a pre-season friendly between the two non-league football clubs in July 2023
Masked men leapt out of the hearse and climbed into the other car before it sped away from the field
A group was filmed leaving the hearse and climbed inside the silver Subaru car, which then made a swift getaway from the stadium
Police launched a probe and have now charged five men in connection with the incident
Darren Kay, 31, has been charged with conspiracy to make threats to kill, while there are two counts against 54-year-old Graham Rutherford of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to make threats to kill.
asserted
Kay → include → threats
John Wright, 42, faces two charges of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal.
asserted
Wright → face → threats
Detective Chief Inspector David Johnson, from Northumbria Police, said: 'We've been working through a long-spanning and complex investigation since we were first aware of this activity, which we have always treated as being linked.
asserted
we → say → which
'Operation Sentinel is our regional response to reports of serious and organised crime – and our teams have worked tirelessly alongside our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service to have now reached these charges.
asserted
teams → organise → charges
'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.
uncertain
which → ask → proceedings
After the events in July 2023, Gateshead posted on X: 'Due to an incident on the pitch occurring shortly after half time, tonight's match has been abandoned by the referee.'
The unexpected pitch invasion came just after the break, with the teams locked at 1-1 in the pre-season clash.
asserted
teams → post → clash
Supporters were then escorted out of the ground, with police as well as a helicopter arriving at the scene while the game was abandoned.
asserted
game → escort → scene
A witness said at the time: 'It was surreal.
asserted
It → say → time
As my wife and I were driving down, there were these three guys with snoods high up and hats on about 500 yards from the stadium.
asserted
wife → drive → stadium
We get into the stadium and look across to the right and those three guys are there.
asserted
guys → get → right
The referee blows the half-time whistle and the players walk in, then one of the guys tried to open the blue railing around the pitch to get on - "Open the gate, open the gate", they were shouting.
asserted
they → blow → gate
There is a bit of an altercation between two guys trying to close the gate, but they were adamant to open the gate.
asserted
they → be → gate
Then the first car comes flying out.
asserted
car → come → ?
It goes flying through the fence onto the pitch, starts doing doughnuts, then the hearse comes out.'
'At that level of football, you don't get security, so it took about 10 minutes before police came, then there were seven or eight police cars and a helicopter.
asserted
police → go → minutes
Newcastle Chronicle writer Matty Hewitt said on X: 'Two cars driven onto the pitch with masked men getting out and leaving a hearse on the pitch.
asserted
men → say → pitch
He described it as a 'terrifying experience with plenty of children about'.
asserted
He → describe → children
And Tynesiders fan Archie Clark told the BBC that the invaders had 'apparently barged through the gate from the car park', before breaking through railings skirting the pitch.
asserted
invaders → tell → pitch
Northumbria Police released a statement to Mail Sport in July 2023, saying: 'Police have launched an investigation following a disturbance during a football match in Gateshead.
asserted
Police → release → Gateshead
Shortly before 8.20pm today (Friday) it was reported that two cars drove onto the pitch during half-time of the Dunston UTC v Gateshead match at Dunston Football Club on Wellington Road.
asserted
cars → report → Road
'Following this, both cars – a Subaru and a hearse – have proceeded to drive around in circles and a group of males wearing balaclavas have then exited onto the pitch.
asserted
group → follow → pitch
They have then proceeded to throw a number of leaflets onto the pitch, before driving away from the area in the Subaru before police arrival.
asserted
They → proceed → arrival
The hearse was left abandoned on the pitch.
asserted
hearse → leave → pitch
Officers attended the scene within minutes where nobody was reported to have been injured or threatened.
asserted
nobody → attend → minutes
'An investigation was immediately launched – and a number of enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the report, and locate those involved.
asserted
number → launch → those
'Disorder will not be tolerated in the community, and anyone found to be involved will be dealt with robustly.
asserted
anyone → tolerate → community
'While enquiries are at an early stage, it is believed that those involved are known to each other and there was no wider risk to the public.'
asserted
those → believe → public
The Aporia
