One of five young men killed in a crash on the A66 was awaiting trial accused of racially abusing and assaulting police officers, it has emerged.
Seven people died after a Volkswagen Passat, which was travelling the wrong way along the A66 near Middlesbrough, collided head-on with a marked police vehicle travelling in the opposite direction in the early hours of Saturday.
Officers Named
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were named as the two officers killed in the high-speed collision. Tributes have since been paid to the pair, with Pc Clough’s family describing him as “our hero”.
The five people travelling in the Passat were named as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
Saddington's Court Case
It has now emerged that Mr Saddington had been awaiting trial on charges of racially abusing and assaulting police officers. The teenager was accused of assaulting Sergeant Rooker of Cleveland Police and causing racially aggravated alarm or distress to PC Chowdhury.
Saddington, of no fixed address, made his first appearance before Teesside magistrates on July 17, when his case was adjourned to a later date.
Investigation and Tributes
Police are continuing to investigate the moments leading up to the crash and have urged the public not to speculate after TikTok videos emerged appearing to show a dangerous joyriding trend.
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey acknowledged reports surrounding the videos but urged people to refrain from speculation while the investigation remains ongoing. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Without being able to say whether that was anything like involved in this case, it’s absolutely idiotic for anybody to be doing anything other than being completely 100% focused on the road when they’re behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“And for somebody to be filming themselves or doing anything like that is absolutely ridiculous, and of course nobody should be doing that.
“And it is a worrying situation if that’s becoming more prevalent because it is incredibly dangerous.”
A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation for the families of the officers had reached more than £250,000 on Monday morning.
Cleveland Police launched a police chase after receiving intelligence relating to “numerous incidents” linked to a Passat, which activated an ANPR camera and is believed to have been using cloned plates, investigating watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.
Pc Blades and Pc Clough were not involved in the original pursuit, but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat.
Family members described former Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer Pc Clough as “our hero” who was “always on public duty”. The father-of-two’s family called him “our superhero” and said: “He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.”
In a statement issued by Cleveland Police, Pc Blades’ wife called him “my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys”.
