Who has been arrested in the wake of the A66 fatal crash?
Owen Humphreys/PAMultiple people have been arrested and charged as part of a wider police operation against organised crime, following a head-on car crash on the A66 which killed seven people, including two police officers.
A Volkswagen Passat with five young men hit an oncoming marked Cleveland Police vehicle on the dual carriageway near Middlesbrough at about 03:39 BST on Saturday 22 August.
Officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died at the scene.
The occupants of the VW Passat, which was travelling the wrong way down the A66 at South Bank - Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, and 17-year-olds Theo Rae and Cole Robert Worthy - also died.
On the morning of the crash, Cleveland Police said it received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously around the town and a Volvo XC60 had been seen ramming properties.
Further arrests were subsequently made in connection with organised crime, including the following weekend after a vehicle rammed another on 30 August, police said.
The force has since charged the following people:
- Kai Beattie, 19, of Foxrush Court, Redcar, charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. He has admitted the offences and is due to be sentenced on 20 November.
- Cameron George, 26, of Micklow Close, Redcar, charged with possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and possession of criminal property. He has denied both offences with a trial set for 4 February 2027.
- Kai Inico, 21, of Alverton Green in Middlesbrough, charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug. He was released on conditional bail.
- Mitchell Keenan, 18, of Beverley Road in Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, use of a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving while disqualified. He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 12 November.
- Ethan Burke, 24, of Flint Close in Grangetown, charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm when prohibited for life. He was remanded in custody.
Arrests made in the days after the crash
An initial 12 people were arrested on Monday 24 August in connection with the crash, followed by another five people later that day, including on suspicion of being in an organised crime group.
A further six people were arrested on Friday 28 August on suspicion of offences ranging from criminal damage with intent to endanger life to making threats to kill.
Three more arrests were made on Monday 31 August after one vehicle rammed another in Derwentwater Road, between Grangetown and Eston on the evening of Sunday 30 August, police said.
Cleveland Police said a total of 24 people had been arrested as part of a wider operation against organised crime.
- A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon and was released on conditional bail
- A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and was released on conditional bail.
- A 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and was released on conditional bail.
- A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon and was released on conditional bail.
- A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage. He was remanded on recall to prison.
- A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage and public order.
- A 61-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate and has been released on conditional bail.
- A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of class C drugs and has been released on conditional bail.
- An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of class C drugs and was released on conditional bail.
- A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of class C drugs and was released on conditional bail.
- A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of criminal property.
- A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and was released on conditional bail.
- A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and was released on conditional bail.
- An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, affray, criminal damage and possession of a weapon in a public place and was released on conditional bail.
- A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession with intent to supply a class B drug and was released on conditional bail.
- A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and was released on conditional bail.
- A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and was released on conditional bail.
- A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, arson and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.He was released on conditional bail.
- A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, arson and possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He was released on conditional bail.
- A 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, arson and possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He was released on conditional bail.
- A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, arson and possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He was released on conditional bail.
- A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and possession of criminal property. He was released on conditional bail.
- A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property. He was released on conditional bail.
- An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. He was remanded in custody
- A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was released on conditional bail.
- A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was released on conditional bail.
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