Northumbria Police officer charged following Gateshead fatal collision

A Northumbria Police officer has been charged with driving offences following an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into a fatal collision in Gateshead.

The IOPC started an investigation after a collision involving a police vehicle and a motorbike occurred just after 3pm on Friday 8 July 2022. The rider and passenger were struck by a marked police car on Dunston Road, near the Metrocentre.

Sadly, the female passenger on the motorbike, Muriel Pinkney, 74, died in hospital on Sunday 17 July 2022. The male rider was taken to hospital after sustaining multiple fractures to his leg, hip, and pelvis.

The driver of the police vehicle, PC Mark Roberts, 56, is due to make his first appearance at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Friday 20 December to face charges of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The officer also faces additional charges of causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving.

Following receipt of the police collision report in August 2023, we completed our investigation in December 2023 and decided to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges last month.