Five men charged THREE YEARS on over hearse driven onto Tyneside football pitch in organised crime plot

From the Newshound archive · first published 22 September 2026 · last updated 23 September 2026.

Masked men drove a hearse and a Subaru onto the pitch at Dunston UTS's UTS Stadium during a pre-season friendly against Gateshead in July 2023, abandoning the hearse in the centre circle and scattering leaflets containing personal allegations before fleeing. Northumbria Police's Operation Sentinel has now charged five men with a string of offences including conspiracy to make threats to kill, conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to steal and participation in an organised crime group. All five are due to appear at Sunderland and South Tyneside Magistrates' Court this week or Friday.

Carl Barron, 43, faces the most serious charges, including two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, conspiracy to make threats to kill and conspiracy to steal.

Ian Boddy, 44, is charged with conspiracy to steal and participating in the activities of an organised crime group — linking the stunt to wider serious organised crime across Tyneside.

The leaflets thrown from the hearse contained personal allegations about two named individuals, suggesting the pitch invasion was a targeted intimidation rather than a random stunt.