DAD OF A66 CRASH VICTIM FACES JAIL AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK AT HIS SON’S FUNERAL

The father of a teenager who died in the devastating A66 crash is facing the possibility of jail after an alleged confrontation at his son’s funeral.

Gye Worthy, 40, is due to be sentenced at Teesside Magistrates’ Court after being charged following a disturbance during the funeral service for his 17-year-old son, Cole Worthy.

The latest court development comes weeks after Cole was among seven people killed in the A66 collision that also claimed the lives of two police officers.

CHAOS DURING COLE’S FUNERAL

The incident happened at Teesside Crematorium during Cole’s funeral service on September 9.

According to reports, Worthy became upset after celebrant Paul Maull referred to Cole’s stepfather during the eulogy but did not mention Worthy.

The Sun reported that Worthy allegedly confronted Maull and that the situation escalated into a physical altercation.

Police were called to the crematorium and Worthy was arrested.

Cleveland Police later confirmed that the 39-year-old man arrested at the service had been charged with common assault, a public-order offence and obstructing police.

The funeral was subsequently able to continue.

COLE WAS ONLY 17

Cole Worthy was one of five young men travelling in a Volkswagen Passat when it collided head-on with a marked Cleveland Police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough in the early hours of August 22.

Cole, 17, died alongside Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; Michael Robert Cahill, 23; and Jakub Matusiak, 23.

Police officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed in the collision.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain the subject of a major investigation.

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

However, there has been no suggestion that Gye Worthy himself was involved in organised crime.

A NIGHT OF ESCALATING TENSION

The crash followed a series of incidents in Middlesbrough.

Before the fatal collision, a property linked to Cole’s father was rammed by another vehicle.

Police had received reports of vehicles being driven dangerously around the area, while a Volvo XC60 was reported to have rammed properties.

Cole and the other young men were later travelling in the Passat when it entered the A66 in the wrong direction and collided with the police vehicle.

The wider circumstances have led to a major investigation involving numerous arrests.

But the incident at Cole’s funeral is being dealt with separately through the criminal courts.

A FAMILY ALREADY FACING AN UNIMAGINABLE LOSS

Cole’s funeral was supposed to be a day for his family and friends to say goodbye to a teenager whose life had ended at just 17.

Instead, the service was disrupted by the reported confrontation.

A source close to the family previously told the press that Cole’s mother, Natalie McConnell, was left devastated and shocked by what happened during the service.

Cole was remembered by his family as a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend.

His memorial announcement described him as a “beautiful boy” who was deeply loved by those around him.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Worthy has been charged with common assault, a public-order offence and obstructing police.

He is due before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on October 2, where the latest proceedings will determine what happens next in relation to the charges.

The allegations against Worthy have not been proven in court.

The funeral incident is separate from the ongoing investigation into the A66 crash that killed seven people.

For Cole’s family, the legal proceedings come after a devastating few weeks in which they have had to bury their 17-year-old son — while investigators continue trying to establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

And now, the father who was preparing to say goodbye to his son must also face a court case arising from what happened during that final farewell.