Father of teen killed in A66 crash charged with attacking mourner at his own son's funeral
The father of a teenager killed in the A66 crash in Middlesbrough has been charged with attacking a mourner at his own son's funeral.
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Gye Worthy, 39, allegedly took exception to comments made during the funeral for his 17-year-old son Cole on Wednesday.
The service is claimed to have devolved into chaos, with Mr Worthy accused of assaulting a mourner and obstructing police who were called to the funeral.
Cleveland Police said Gye Worthy will appear in court next month.
In a statement, the force said: "The 39-year-old man arrested yesterday (Wednesday 9 September) at Teesside Crematorium, following a disturbance during a service, has now been charged with common assault, public order and obstructing police.
"He is due to appear before Teesside Magistrates' Court on October 2."
Read more: Man, 39, arrested at funeral of teenager killed in A66 crash as 'disturbance' erupts
The Daily Mail reports that Cole's bereaved mother, Natalie McConnell, was left "devastated and shocked" by the alleged disruption to her son's service, according to a source close to the family.
Ms McConnell and Mr Worthy separated some time ago.
Gye Worthy, from Acklam, Middlesbrough, works as an offshore deck foreman and is the boss of his own specialist lifting company for offshore platforms.
His home, a £200,000 semi-detached in Middlesbrough, is currently the focus of a police probe after it suffered serious damage.
On Wednesday, Cleveland Police confirmed the arrest at the funeral.
Superintendent John Wrintmore said: “At around 12.30pm on Wednesday September 9, police swiftly attended to Teesside Crematorium following reports of a disturbance during a service taking place inside.
“A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and has been taken to police custody.
“The service has since resumed.
“Officers will be in the area to provide reassurance.”
The funeral was on the same day as that of Pc Matthew Blades, 37, which took place in Hartlepool.
He was an armed response officer in a marked police car which was hit head-on by a VW Passat in the early hours of August 22.
His colleague Pc Tom Clough, 38, also died at the scene.
Schools closed early for the previous funerals of some of the other young men in the Passat, sparking a political row, but they remained open during the ceremony for Mr Worthy.
Cleveland Police previously said the men in the Passat may have had links to organised crime.