FUNERAL DESCENDS INTO CHAOS — DAD OF A66 CRASH VICTIM CHARGED AFTER DISTURBANCE AT HIS SON’S SERVICE

Gye Worthy, 39, has been charged with common assault, a public order offence and obstructing police following a disturbance at the funeral of his 17-year-old son, Cole Worthy.

A funeral intended to give a grieving family a final chance to say goodbye has ended with the victim’s father facing criminal charges.

Gye Worthy, 39, the father of 17-year-old Cole Worthy, has been charged following a disturbance at his son’s funeral at Teesside Crematorium in Middlesbrough.

The incident happened on Wednesday, September 9, as mourners gathered to remember Cole, one of five young men who died in the devastating A66 crash last month.

Cleveland Police were called to the crematorium at around 12:30 p.m. after reports of a disturbance during the service.

Officers attended and a 39-year-old man was arrested. The service was later able to resume, while police remained nearby to provide reassurance.

NOW THREE CHARGES

Gye Worthy has since been charged with:

• Common assault
• A public order offence
• Obstructing police

He is due to appear before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on October 2.

The charges follow reports that the disturbance began after Worthy took offence at remarks made during the funeral service, according to reporting by The Sun.

However, the precise circumstances surrounding the alleged assault have not been established in court.

Worthy has not been convicted of any offence.

A FUNERAL ALREADY SURROUNDED BY TENSION

Cole Worthy was just 17 years old when he died on August 22.

He was one of five young men travelling in a Volkswagen Passat that collided head-on with a marked police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough.

The crash also claimed the lives of armed response officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38.

The five young men were identified as:

Michael Robert Cahill, 23
Theo Rae, 17
Cole Robert Worthy, 17
Jakub Matusiak, 23
Makai Saddington, 18

Cleveland Police previously said the men in the Passat may have had links to serious organised crime.

Those claims concern the wider investigation into the crash and do not establish that Cole’s father was involved in organised crime.

COLE’S FAMILY REMEMBERED THEIR “BEAUTIFUL BOY”

Despite the disruption, the funeral service eventually continued.

Cole’s family described him as an “adored son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin”, as well as a loving boyfriend and cherished friend.

A family memorial announcement remembered him as their “beautiful boy” and ended with the words:

“Fly high Cole, forever 17.”

Cole’s mother, Natalie McConnell, was said to be devastated and shocked by what happened during the service, according to The Sun.

She also expressed gratitude for the large number of people who turned out to support the family.

POLICE PRESENCE HAS SOARED

The disturbance came amid heightened tensions across Middlesbrough following the A66 crash.

Cleveland Police has deployed around 200 additional specialist officers, including armed officers from other northern forces, amid concerns about disorder and wider criminal activity in the area.

Several previous funerals and memorial events linked to the crash have attracted large crowds and intense police attention.

One memorial for Michael Cahill was later disrupted by vehicles being set alight, while concerns about possible disorder also led to temporary school closures around some of the funeral processions.

The funerals of the two police officers killed in the crash, meanwhile, drew huge crowds of serving officers, veterans and members of the public.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Cole Worthy’s funeral was supposed to be a moment for his family and friends to grieve.

Instead, the service was interrupted by a disturbance, police were called and his father now faces three charges.

The case will return to court on October 2, when Gye Worthy is expected to appear before magistrates.

For now, the allegations remain just that — allegations.

But the latest development adds another dramatic chapter to a tragedy that has already claimed seven lives and left Middlesbrough facing heightened tensions.

A 17-year-old boy was being laid to rest. His family gathered to say goodbye. Then a disturbance broke out inside the crematorium — and his grieving father walked away facing criminal charges.