Grangetown house fire victims 'had no gang links', brother says as murder arrests made
Two men arrested on suspicion of murder after a fire in Grangetown killed Natalie McDonald, 34, and seven-year-old Valentina Foster. Police are investigating possible links to the fatal A66 crash.
Brother defends fire victims as murder inquiry widens amid A66 crash investigation
The brother of a woman killed in a Grangetown house fire has insisted she had no connection to gangs or the nearby A66 road collision that claimed seven lives the previous weekend, The Independent reports.
Natalie McDonald, 34, and seven-year-old Valentina Foster died in the blaze on Birchington Avenue, close to Middlesbrough, which also left four others injured. Two men have since been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fire.
Josh Kirton, Ms McDonald's brother, told reporters: "My sister was not involved with anything to do with gangs, or the (crash on the) A66. That's what makes this so senseless. People think they can do whatever they like. There's some terrible people in the world and now my sister and Valentina have gone."
Tributes have been left outside the property, including bouquets, toys, and a photograph of the pair bearing the words: "RIP Natalie and Valentina you will be missed." Among the items was a Care Bear toy, a teddy bear, and a handwritten note reading: "Now she dances with butterflies Valentina." A further message described Valentina as "a lovely young girl".
Cleveland Police is continuing to investigate whether the Birchington Avenue fire is connected to the A66 crash, which took place approximately one mile away last Saturday.
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Ramming incident under investigation
Officers are also examining a separate incident in which a property on Steele Crescent, South Bank, was rammed in the early hours of Thursday morning. Local policing Superintendent Emily Harrison confirmed the property was unoccupied at the time and that no injuries had been reported.
"Officers are conducting inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident," Harrison said. "Our investigation is in its early stages and it has not yet been confirmed whether this incident is linked to wider organised crime."
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Inquests opened into A66 deaths
On Thursday morning, inquests were formally opened at Teesside Coroners' Court into the deaths of two police officers killed when their marked vehicle was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the A66. Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were pronounced dead at the scene. The provisional cause of death was recorded as head and neck injuries for Blades, and neck injuries for Clough.
Coroner Paul Appleton said Pc Blades was identified by his wife, and Pc Clough by his partner.
Appleton told the court: "At this stage it is understood that there had been a police pursuit of the Volkswagen Passat. It entered the A66 carriageway against the flow of traffic, at which stage the pursuit was aborted. A short time after… the Volkswagen Passat collided with a police vehicle, which had not been directly involved in the prior pursuit."
Separate afternoon hearings opened into the deaths of the five men travelling in the Passat: Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Jakub Matusiak, 23, named by police as Jacob. All were identified through fingerprint analysis. Causes of death included neck injuries, head and torso injuries, and head and chest injuries across the five individuals.
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Seventeen arrested following crash
Police have arrested 17 people in connection with the A66 collision as part of a broader investigation into alleged organised crime. Two have been charged; the remainder have been bailed. Investigators believe the Passat had been pursued following an earlier incident in which a house in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough, linked to Worthy, was rammed by a vehicle.
Authorities have previously stated that the five men in the Passat may have had links to "serious and organised criminal activity" and that four of them carried previous convictions.
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Political response
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Government was offering "all of the support that the authorities need" following what he called a "terribly tragic" set of events. Speaking to reporters during a visit to South Wales, Burnham described the deaths as "utterly devastating" and said the nation's "deepest respect" went to the families of the officers killed in the line of duty.
Former Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston called the series of incidents "heartbreaking to see — not just the loss of life, but the further scarring of once proud communities." He warned that further violence could put more innocent lives at risk if the situation did not stabilise.
Hartlepool United announced it will hold a two-minute silence for the fallen officers ahead of its home fixture against Eastleigh on Friday.
Source: The Independent