
Flint man took his own life after racism allegation at Chester FC match
An HGV driver took his hours after police launched a probe into an alleged racist gesture made at a football match "could not face the embarrassment" of a potential club ban or jail term, an inquest heard.
Keen Chester FC fan Andrew Paul Hewitt, 52, was found hanging at his family home in Flint, North Wales, on December 1, the day after he attended an away fixture at National League rivals Warrington Town.
Following the match, video emerged online of a "small group" of Chester fans making gestures towards a Warrington player, a hearing at County Hall, Ruthin, was told on Wednesday.
Chester FC released a statement in which it expressed its discontent with the video and later said an individual had been identified and police would take appropriate action, the inquest heard.
The following day, after Mr Hewitt's body had been found by his brother, Cheshire Police issued a statement reading: 'During the match police were made aware of a racially aggravated public order offence. The suspect was due to be spoken to at a later date about the matter.'
In a statement, Mr Hewitt's brother Alan said the father-of-one's behaviour was "completely out of character".
He said: "Andrew got caught up in the moment." .
He added that his brother must have read the club statement, together with comments online, and thought he would either face a lengthy ban or a custodial sentence, and "could not face the embarrassment of either outcome".
A note was found at Mr Hewitt's home in Palace Close which read: "I f***** up. Sorry."
A number of family members attended the brief hearing at County Hall where Mr Hewitt was described as a "hard-working individual" who had followed Chester FC home and away for 40 years, and was in a long-term relationship with Hayley Williams.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, HM Coroner for North Wales John Gittins expressed his condolences as he told the family: "It is a very tragic loss in very extreme, difficult circumstances.
"I can see this is a gentleman who is very much missed and the hole he has left is very difficult to fill in all of your lives."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
HGV driver caught rolling cigarette while on M5
A HGV driver who rolled a cigarette with no hands on the wheel was among 58 motorists caught in a police crackdown last Police used an unmarked lorry to catch unsafe driving behaviour on the M5, leading to court summons and traffic offence HGV driver was stopped by officers after being filmed between junctions 8 and Matt Firth said cutting the number of people killed or seriously injured on the county's roads "continues to be a priority" for the force. National Highways has three unmarked HGV cabs which it loans out to police forces across the country as part of Operation driver of a tow truck was pulled over and received a ban as officers found it had no brakes and an insecure also pulled over two drivers towing vehicles while in the third lane of the motorway, which is not permitted according to the Highway were also stopped for offences such as not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone behind the Matt Firth from the force's roads policing unit said: "We will continue to run these operations to detect and deter those who choose to drive in this manner, remembering that any of us or our loved ones could be impacted by such behaviours whilst using the county's roads."


Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment lorry driver is caught with no hands on the wheel as he rolls a cigarette on the motorway
This is the shocking moment a lorry driver is caught driving with no hands on the wheel while he rolls a cigarette. The careless driver was captured on film as part of Gloucestershire Police's Operation Tramline on the M25. Up to 58 drivers were stopped for offences that included not wearing seatbelts, using a phone behind the wheel, alongside pulling trailers with insecure loads. Under the road safety initiative, undercover officers drove in an unmarked HGV lorry between May 6 and May 8, recording and i dentifying a number of traffic offences. These officers then intercepted the offending vehicle, pulling it over and dealing with the driver. Alongside capturing the careless cigarette-roller, officers also pulled over a tow truck that was found to have several major defects which included no brakes, cuts in tyres, bald tyres, cracked suspension springs and an insecure load. A prohibition notice was issued to the driver as the vehicle was not roadworthy and could have put other motorists at risk. Two motorists were also pulled over for towing vehicles while in the third lane of the motorway which is not permitted. The offences were handled under the Traffic Offence Reports and summons. These can potentially result in a fine of £100 for failing to wear a seatbelt, £200 and six penalty points for using a handheld mobile device and a £300 fine for driving a vehicle in contravention of a prohibition. Penalties for driving whilst disqualified can also lead to a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months' imprisonment. Sergeant Matt Firth from the Roads Policing Unit said: 'Reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on our roads continues to be a priority for Gloucestershire Constabulary. 'We will continue to run these operations to detect and deter those who choose to drive in this manner remembering that any of us or our loved ones could be impacted by such behaviours whilst using the county's roads.' National Highways Engineering Team Manager for Road Safety, Jack Mason, described it as 'disappointing' to see numerous drivers putting both themselves and others on the road at great risk. Pictured: a HGV which was pulled over as the driver was seen to be texting while driving. National Highways Engineering Team Manager for Road Safety, Jack Mason, described it as 'disappointing' to see numerous drivers putting both themselves and others on the road at great risk Mr Mason added: 'Figures show that you're twice as likely to die in a crash if you don't wear a seat belt and four times more likely to be in a crash if using a phone at the wheel. 'This year marks the 10th anniversary of Operation Tramline and our goal has always been to remind motorists to think carefully about their driving behaviours and to make our roads safer. 'These results show just how valuable our HGV cabs continue to be in helping to spot unsafe driving behaviours and we will continue working with our police partners to make our roads as safe as we can.' National Highways has three unmarked HGV cabs which it loans out to police forces across the country as part of Operation Tramline. The operation was introduced to help decrease the number of people killed or seriously injured on the National Highways road network.


Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Terrifying moment lorry driver swerves manically across major A-road missing traffic by INCHES while 4x over legal limit
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the terrifying moment a drunk trucker swerves four times across a major A-road, managing to just miss traffic by a few inches. The lorry driver was caught on camera weaving along a busy road - at four times the legal drink drive limit. 5 The lorry driver was caught on camera swerving between lanes Credit: WNS 5 Iurie Istrati admitted drunk and dangerous driving at his court appearance Credit: WNS 5 Istrati was seen by other road users swerving between lanes and crossing white lines in his HGV Credit: WNS Iurie Istrati, 56, was spotted by other drivers who rang 999 to raise the alarm at his lunchtime drink-drive session. He was seen at 1pm swerving between lanes and crossing white lines in his HGV. A court heard police responded to a 999 call reporting a HGV swerving between lanes and the edge of the carriageway on the A483 at Gresford, North Wales. Despite attempts by officers to pull the vehicle over, Istrati continued driving - and narrowly avoided crashing into the roadside barrier. Officers overtook Istrati on the A5 near Halton and gradually brought the HGV to a stop. Istrati was taken into custody and provided a breath specimen of 127 micrograms of alcohol, almost four times over the legal limit of 35. Istrati, listed as of no fixed abode but believed to be Polish, was jailed for nine months. He admitted dangerous and drink driving at Mold Magistrates Court. PC Ryan Sheppard said: 'Istrati's dangerous driving clearly could have caused a serious or fatal collision if he was not stopped. "He showed blatant disregard for the safety of members of the public and the law. Shock moment drunk Fiat 500 driver smashes into car and flips over during dangerous overtake on quiet residential street 'I thank the concerned driver who called our control room to alert us to this incident. 'I would like to thank the individual who phoned us with their concerns regarding the behaviour they witnessed – although we will never know, they have potentially saved lives. 'Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads remains a priority for North Wales Police and we will continue to do all that we can to remove dangerous drivers from the roads. 'If you suspect somebody is driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, I urge you to report this to us so we can take action and keep our communities safe.' He was also disqualified from driving for three years and four months, after which he would be required to pass an extended driving test to renew his licence. 5 The driver was given a nine month jail sentence Credit: WNS