Northumbria Police officer found guilty of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving

A Northumbria Police officer who was involved in a fatal collision in Gateshead has been found guilty of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. 

PC Mark Roberts, 57, pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by careless driving in January 2025 after he was charged following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the collision involving a police vehicle that PC Roberts was driving and a motorbike. 

Sadly, the female passenger on the motorbike, Muriel Pinkney, 74, died in hospital following the collision. Her husband, Ronald, the rider, was taken to hospital after sustaining multiple fractures to his leg, hip, and pelvis. 

Following the conclusion of the trial at Teesside Crown Court this morning, a jury found PC Roberts guilty of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. PC Roberts was bailed until 7 April 2026 for sentencing.

Shortly before 3pm on Friday 8 July 2022, PC Roberts was driving a marked police vehicle responding to an emergency call on the A1 flyover with Dunston Bank, near the MetroCentre. 

The evidence gathered from the collision investigation and the police car data showed PC Roberts was travelling above the 30mph speed restriction whilst approaching and driving past traffic lights on red. The officer was responding to an emergency call with the vehicle’s blue lights and sirens activated on the approach to the traffic lights. The dash cam analysis report highlighted that PC Roberts was driving at no less than 43mph at this stage.   

The evidence showed the officer slowing down as he approached the impact point and applied the brakes in an attempt to avoid the collision. The estimated speed of PC Roberts’ police car at the point of impact was 25mph. 

A police driving expert in their report stated that PC Roberts’ manner of driving was not in line with his training and local and national guidance as he failed to treat the red traffic light as a stop or give way sign. 

IOPC Director Emily Barry said: “This incident will have had a devastating impact on the lives of Ronald and his wife Muriel’s family and friends and our sympathies remain with them and all those affected by this. 

“PC Roberts was a trained police driver. While driving guidance permits officers to pass through red lights and travel above the speed limit where necessary in the circumstances, it is never justified if the officer’s manner of driving endangers other road users. 

“I sympathise too on the impact this also had on PC Roberts and while I appreciate it would never have been his intention to cause death or serious injury, sadly his driving that day had fatal consequences which left a family heartbroken and he has been held accountable today.” 

Our investigation began following a mandatory referral from the force. We reviewed accounts from witnesses, police dash cam footage, body worn video and relevant force training, policies and police driving guidance. 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 in November 2024.

Following our investigation, we also decided that the officer should face a gross misconduct hearing to face allegations that his manner of driving breached the police standards of professional behaviour. We will now liaise with the force about disciplinary proceedings.