Five men deny charges over hearse driven onto Dunston pitch
Five men have pleaded not guilty to charges arising from an investigation into a hearse driven onto a football pitch in Dunston during a 2023 match. The case also concerns alleged threats, property damage and vehicle theft, and one defendant faces a charge of participating in an organised crime group.
At half-time of a pre-season friendly between Dunston UTS and Gateshead on 21 July 2023, a Subaru and a hearse reportedly performed “donuts” on the pitch. Masked men left leaflets containing allegations about two people before fleeing in the Subaru; the match was abandoned. A four-week trial is due to begin at Newcastle Crown Court on 1 November next year.
In short
- Five men deny charges linked to a 2023 football pitch incident.
- A hearse and Subaru drove onto the pitch at half-time.
- The four-week trial is scheduled to start next November.
Explained simply
Dunston UTS is a football club based in Dunston, near Gateshead in north-east England. Its pre-season friendly with Gateshead was stopped after vehicles were driven onto the pitch at half-time in July 2023, and leaflets making allegations about two people were left at the ground.
The prosecution case includes alleged threats, damage to property and theft of a vehicle. One of the five defendants is also charged with taking part in an organised crime group. All five deny the charges, and a trial is due to take place at Newcastle Crown Court.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Five men to face trial next year after HEARSE driven onto football pitch in stunt ‘linked to organised crime’”.