A violent attack on the home of the mother of one of the five young men killed in the A66 crash is believed to have taken place just hours before the fatal collision, as police continue to investigate a wave of suspected gang-related violence across Middlesbrough.
The woman’s Audi, which was parked on her driveway, was reportedly rammed into the front of her house in the early hours of Saturday.
Her 17-year-old son, Theo Rae, was later among five people killed when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the A66 collided head-on with a marked police vehicle.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed in the crash.
According to reports, Rae had allegedly been driving around Middlesbrough in the Passat looking for members of a rival gang following the attack on his family’s property.
He was accompanied by Cole Worthy, 17, Michael Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Worthy died in the crash on Saturday
PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, was killed when his police vehicle was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough
PC Tom Clough also died in the crash, which occurred around ten seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen was called off
Three homes reportedly targeted before the crash
Sources cited by The Sun said three properties allegedly linked to the group were targeted by rivals travelling in a Volvo XC60 during the early hours of Saturday.
The attack on Rae’s mother’s home, along with an alleged attack on his grandmother’s property, was reportedly particularly significant to the group.
The claims form part of a wider investigation into a series of violent incidents in the Middlesbrough area.
Police have not established that all of the incidents are connected, however, and investigations into possible links with organised crime remain ongoing.
The alleged sequence of events preceded the fatal A66 collision.
Police spotted the Volkswagen Passat and began pursuing it. The chase lasted around seven minutes before the vehicle entered the A66 travelling against the flow of traffic.
The pursuit was then abandoned, but shortly afterwards the Passat collided with the marked police vehicle.
All seven people in the two vehicles died at the scene.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the circumstances surrounding the pursuit and subsequent collision.
Makai Saddington, one of the five killed in the Volkswagen, posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers
Michael Robert Cahill was one of the five in the VW Passat
Inquests opened into deaths of two officers
Inquests into the deaths of PC Blades and PC Clough were opened and adjourned at Teesside Coroner’s Court on Thursday.
Coroner Paul Appleton said PC Blades had been identified by his wife, while PC Clough was identified by his partner.
The provisional cause of death for PC Blades was recorded as head and neck injuries. PC Clough’s provisional cause of death was neck injuries. (ITVX)
The five occupants of the Passat were also pronounced dead at the scene.
Their identities have since been confirmed as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17. (Care Quest)
Middlesbrough faces surge in violence
The fatal crash has been followed by a series of violent incidents across Teesside, leaving residents increasingly concerned about their safety.
More than 200 additional officers from forces across the UK have been deployed to support Cleveland Police as investigations continue into suspected gang activity.
Police have made numerous arrests across Teesside for offences including alleged involvement in organised crime. A separate investigation is also examining the deaths of seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her aunt, 34-year-old Natalie McDonald, who died in a house fire in Grangetown on Wednesday.
Two men, aged 31 and 23, have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fire.
However, police have stressed that investigations are ongoing and have not established that the various incidents are connected.
McDonald’s family has also rejected suggestions that she was involved with gangs. Her brother said she had no association with gang activity. (The Independent)
A separate property in South Bank was also reportedly rammed by a vehicle during the early hours of Thursday. The house was empty at the time.
Police raid follows another violent incident
The violence continued on Thursday night when armed police surrounded a residential property in Thornaby, North Yorkshire, around five miles from the A66 crash site.
Officers were called at approximately 9.15pm following reports of a fight involving a weapon. A 25-year-old man was taken to hospital with facial fractures.
Four people were arrested on suspicion of affray: a 17-year-old boy, two men aged 39 and 43, and a 30-year-old woman. The two men were also arrested on suspicion of wounding.
Armed response officers surrounded the property from both the front and rear, while several occupants were escorted outside individually.
Cleveland Police later said the incident was not believed to have any connection to wider criminality at that stage.
Meanwhile, a 21-year-old man arrested as part of the investigation into events leading up to Saturday’s fatal crash has been charged with a drugs offence.
Residents say they feel trapped
The escalating violence has left some residents fearful of leaving their homes.
Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, told Times Radio that residents had described feeling unsafe even when going to local shops.
“People are saying that they are going to their shops and not feeling safe to do so and feeling trapped in their own homes,” he said.
McDonald condemned the level of violence and called for an appropriate response to those responsible for the disruption in local communities.
The events have prompted a major police response, with officers from outside Cleveland brought in to help restore order.
Yet authorities continue to face the difficult task of determining which incidents are connected, while investigators work to establish what happened in the hours before the A66 crash and whether the alleged gang feud played a role.
The A66 collision remains the central tragedy: five young men and two police officers lost their lives in a matter of seconds, while a wider wave of violence has since left communities across Teesside facing heightened police activity and growing anxiety. (ITVX)
