Five men charged over driving a HEARSE onto football pitch - after stunt caused non-league match to be abandoned

Five men have been charged after a hearse was driven on to a football pitch by people wearing masks, forcing a non-league game to be abandoned three years ago.Police launched an investigation called Operation Sentinel after a pre-season friendly between local rival football clubs Dunston and Gateshead in July 2023, with the match called off at half-time after the hearse was left in the centre of the pitch.One onlooker captured the bizarre moment the vehicle appeared on the pitch at Dunston's UTS Stadium along with a second car, with both vehicles spinning in circles while leaflets were thrown from the windows in apparent protest.Eventually masked men left the hearse and joined the second car, which was driven off the pitch and out of the stadium.Another clip showed masked men fleeing the stadium, smashing through a barrier on the way. Northumbria Police today confirmed five men have been charged with a string of offences, saying they were due to appear at Sunderland and South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on either Wednesday or Friday this week.The five include 43-year-old Carl Barron, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal.Ian Boddy, 44, is accused of conspiracy to steal and taking part in the activities of an organised crime group. Two cars including a hearse entered the pitch as Gateshead took on Dunston in a pre-season friendly between the two non-league football clubs in July 2023 Masked men leapt out of the hearse and climbed into the other car before it sped away from the fieldA group was filmed leaving the hearse and climbed inside the silver Subaru car, which then made a swift getaway from the stadium Police launched a probe and have now charged five men in connection with the incidentDarren Kay, 31, has been charged with conspiracy to make threats to kill, while there are two counts against 54-year-old Graham Rutherford of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to make threats to kill.John Wright, 42, faces two charges of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal.Detective Chief Inspector David Johnson, from Northumbria Police, said: 'We've been working through a long-spanning and complex investigation since we were first aware of this activity, which we have always treated as being linked.'Operation Sentinel is our regional response to reports of serious and organised crime – and our teams have worked tirelessly alongside our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service to have now reached these charges.'As ever, we would ask the public to refrain from any kind of speculation – both in the community and online – which could negatively impact the proceedings.'After the events in July 2023, Gateshead posted on X: 'Due to an incident on the pitch occurring shortly after half time, tonight's match has been abandoned by the referee.' The unexpected pitch invasion came just after the break, with the teams locked at 1-1 in the pre-season clash. Supporters were then escorted out of the ground, with police as well as a helicopter arriving at the scene while the game was abandoned. A witness said at the time: 'It was surreal. As my wife and I were driving down, there were these three guys with snoods high up and hats on about 500 yards from the stadium.'We get into the stadium and look across to the right and those three guys are there.'The referee blows the half-time whistle and the players walk in, then one of the guys tried to open the blue railing around the pitch to get on - "Open the gate, open the gate", they were shouting.'There is a bit of an altercation between two guys trying to close the gate, but they were adamant to open the gate. Then the first car comes flying out. There are loads of people around, kids, men, women.'It goes flying through the fence onto the pitch, starts doing doughnuts, then the hearse comes out.''At that level of football, you don't get security, so it took about 10 minutes before police came, then there were seven or eight police cars and a helicopter. It was scary.' Newcastle Chronicle writer Matty Hewitt said on X: 'Two cars driven onto the pitch with masked men getting out and leaving a hearse on the pitch.He described it as a 'terrifying experience with plenty of children about'. And Tynesiders fan Archie Clark told the BBC that the invaders had 'apparently barged through the gate from the car park', before breaking through railings skirting the pitch. Northumbria Police released a statement to Mail Sport in July 2023, saying: 'Police have launched an investigation following a disturbance during a football match in Gateshead.'Shortly before 8.20pm today (Friday) it was reported that two cars drove onto the pitch during half-time of the Dunston UTC v Gateshead match at Dunston Football Club on Wellington Road.'Following this, both cars – a Subaru and a hearse – have proceeded to drive around in circles and a group of males wearing balaclavas have then exited onto the pitch.'They have then proceeded to throw a number of leaflets onto the pitch, before driving away from the area in the Subaru before police arrival. The hearse was left abandoned on the pitch.'Officers attended the scene within minutes where nobody was reported to have been injured or threatened.'An investigation was immediately launched – and a number of enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the report, and locate those involved.'Disorder will not be tolerated in the community, and anyone found to be involved will be dealt with robustly.'While enquiries are at an early stage, it is believed that those involved are known to each other and there was no wider risk to the public.'