Shocking A66 Crash Twist As Teen K-il-led In Hor-ror Collision Was D-u-e In Court Over Police As-sault Case
ONE of the five teenage joyriders who caused the death of two cops by crashing into their police vehicle was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers, it has been revealed.
The Volkswagen Passat smashed into the cop car while driving in the wrong direction on the A66, killing PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, in the early hours of Saturday.
Makai Saddington, 18, was awaiting trial
The teenager had previously posted a video of him involved in a high-speed chase
The five men in the Passat who died in the devastating collision in Middlesbrough were named as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
Now, it has been revealed that Saddington was awaiting trial on charges of racially abusing and assaulting officers.
He was accused of assaulting Sergeant Rooker of Cleveland Police and causing racially aggravated alarm or distress to PC Chowdhury.
Court records seen by The Sun show Saddington was in court on July 17 over the charges for a first hearing.
Emergency services at the scene on the A66 in South BankCredit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
The alleged incidents were reported to have occurred back in June, according to court records.
Cops are continuing to investigate the moments leading up to the fatal smash on Saturday.
Cleveland Police believes the Passat was being driven with cloned number plates and had been linked to several suspicious incidents.
And just moments before the horrifying fatal smash, officers had been chasing the car in a highspeed pursuit for seven minutes through residential streets.
PC Matthew Blades’ (pictured) wife has paid a touching tribute to her husbandCredit: Cleveland Police
PC Tom Clough tragically died in the horror collisionCredit: PA
Ring doorbell footage captured it being driven at speed through streets in Middlesbrough at around 3.36am.
Then came the crucial moment.
Cops called off the pursuit when the Passat went on to the A66 because it had begun travelling the wrong way down the road.
But just ten seconds later, the car slammed into a different marked police vehicle travelling correctly on the A66.
The devastating crash has now left two police families grieving officers who had gone to work to protect others.
PC Blades was a husband and father-of-two who had recently taken on a new role coaching Seaton Carew FC.
He was preparing to coach the club’s under-sevens team, where his own son plays.
His wife has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her “beloved husband”, “best friend” and “the most devoted father to our two young boys”.
Close friends Theo Rae, 17, (left) and Cole Worthy, 17, both died in the crashCredit: Facebook/Theo Rae
Jacob Matusiak, 23, was one of the passengers in the PassatCredit: Facebook/Jakub Hewitt
She said: “No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt — my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys.”
PC Clough, 38, had previously served with the British Transport Police and was also a former soldier.
His family described him as their “hero” and a man with a “fantastic” sense of humour who would always jump into action when needed.
The five young men who died in the Passat have also been mourned by relatives and friends.
But Saddington’s social media activity has also since come under scrutiny, with clips appearing to show him taking part in high-speed police chases months before the crash.
In one video filmed in May, he is seen as a passenger in an Audi being driven at speed through a housing estate while a police car follows with its blue lights flashing.
The Audi then appears to veer across a grassy playing field in an apparent attempt to escape the pursuing officers.
Another clip associated with Saddington shows a green Nissan being driven around before being set alight.
Michael Cahill, 23, died in the crash which also killed two police officersCredit: Facebook/Michael Ray
Footage showed police cars pursuing a suspect down a residential street just minutes before the tragedyCredit: Supplied
Separate images show him and a friend posing in cars while wearing black balaclavas.
The footage has emerged amid concerns over a wider trend of young men filming police pursuits and posting the clips online for views and likes.
A mile from the scene of the crash residents of Lime Road were woken at 3.36am by the sound of screeching tyres as the motor took a corner into their narrow street.
Ellie Westerman, 24, said: “The car must have been travelling at between 80 and 100 mph down our narrow street.
“The noise woke me and I shot out of bed, you could feel the vibration in the house as the car went past and the police vehicles followed with their lights and sirens going.
“It was frightening that cars were being driven at that speed through a residential area and it’s tragic people have ended up dying.”
Another resident said: “The screech of tyres woke me up, the car being followed must have taken the corner into our road at a tremendous speed.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
