The father of teenager Cole Worthy, who was killed in the fatal A66 crash near Middlesbrough, is facing a possible prison sentence after admitting he attacked the celebrant during his own son’s funeral.

Gye Worthy, 40, is accused of becoming enraged after celebrant Paul Maull failed to mention him during the eulogy for 17-year-old Cole, while referring to the teenager’s stepfather.

Worthy allegedly shouted insults before assaulting Mr Maull and resisting police officers who were called to deal with the disturbance at Teesside Crematorium on September 9.

He appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court today, October 2, with the case having already been adjourned for sentencing preparations.

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Worthy, 39, faces prison after attacking the celebrant at the funeral for his son Cole

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Theo Rae, left, and Cole were both killed in the A66 Middlesbrough crash

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Worthy’s home was attacked just before Cole was killed during the crash on the A66

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Paul Maull (pictured) was attacked by Gye Worthy at a funeral at Teesside Crematorium

Father admitted assaulting funeral celebrant

Worthy had appeared at an unscheduled hearing on September 26, where he admitted three charges arising from the incident.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Maull by beating him at St Bede’s Chapel at Acklam Crematorium in Middlesbrough.

He also admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour towards the celebrant with the intention of causing him to fear that unlawful violence might be used.

A third charge relates to resisting arrest after crematorium staff contacted police.

The court previously ordered pre-sentence reports, with a sentencing date identified for October 27.

Mr Maull was reportedly left shocked and shaken but did not suffer serious injuries.

The celebrant and medium, who regularly conducts services at Acklam Crematorium, declined to discuss what happened, saying it was not something he wanted to comment on.

Family left devastated by disruption

The confrontation reportedly left Cole’s mother, Natalie McConnell, devastated and shocked.

McConnell and Worthy have been separated for some time and both have since formed new relationships.

A source close to the family said the incident was particularly distressing because the funeral was supposed to be a day focused on remembering Cole.

According to the source, Worthy became angry because other members of the family had been mentioned during the service while his own name had not been mentioned early enough.

The source described the confrontation as shocking and said the incident had turned attention away from Cole during what should have been a day dedicated to his memory.

After the funeral, Sarah Moloney, a friend of McConnell, thanked mourners on the family’s behalf for attending.

In a social media tribute, she said the large turnout showed how deeply Cole had been loved and remembered, thanking those who had offered hugs, kind words and memories during an extremely difficult day.

Cole was one of five people killed in the A66 crash

Cole Worthy, 17, was one of five people who died in the devastating collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough on August 22.

The other passengers were Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Cahill, 23, and Theo Rae, 17.

Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed when their armed response vehicle was struck at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, at around 3.39am.

An inquest opening in Middlesbrough heard that both officers died from severe head and neck injuries.

Cleveland Police previously said the five people travelling in a Volkswagen Passat had links to organised crime and were attempting to flee police when the vehicle travelled the wrong way along the A66 before colliding with the police vehicle.

Police have said the incident occurred against the backdrop of a suspected tit-for-tat gangland dispute over the supply of drugs on Teesside.

There has been no suggestion that Worthy himself was connected to organised crime.

Worthy’s home had been attacked shortly before the crash

The fatal crash came only minutes after a serious attack on Worthy’s home in Acklam, Middlesbrough.

His semi-detached property, valued at around £200,000, was reportedly targeted in a criminal incident that remains under investigation by Cleveland Police.

A red Volvo was allegedly driven into the front of the house twice, causing substantial structural damage that was still being repaired.

According to the account in the original report, Cole and the four other young men later travelled in a Volkswagen Passat while searching for the Volvo, apparently intent on revenge.

The Passat was subsequently involved in the fatal collision on the A66.

Police contact and Stinger ruled out

An interim report into the crash ruled out the use of tactical contact between police and the Passat as well as the deployment of a Stinger device to puncture its tyres.

Emily Barry, director of engagement with the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said the organisation recognised the devastating and lasting effect of the collision on the victims’ families, police personnel and the wider local community.

She also addressed speculation surrounding the circumstances of the crash, saying there was no suggestion that the collision resulted from direct police contact and that officers had not used a Stinger to stop the Passat.

The investigation into the wider circumstances of the crash remains separate from the proceedings involving Worthy.

A funeral overshadowed by a confrontation

Worthy, who is from Acklam, Middlesbrough, runs a specialist lifting company that operates on offshore platforms.

The attack at the funeral has now placed him at risk of a prison sentence, with the court due to consider the circumstances of the offences when he is sentenced later this month.

For Cole’s family, however, the incident came during an already devastating period following the teenager’s death.

The funeral had been intended as an opportunity for relatives and friends to say goodbye to a 17-year-old whose life ended in one of the region’s most serious road tragedies.

Instead, the service was disrupted by a confrontation that left the celebrant shaken and the grieving family distressed.