SOCCER COACH KILLED 15 MINUTES BEFORE SEX TRIAL

A FORMER youth football coach and scout was found dead in a single-vehicle car crash – just minutes before he was due to go on trial accused of the historical sexual abuse of boys aged under 16.

Michael “Kit” Carson, 75, had pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing at Cambridge Crown Court to 12 counts of indecent assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The allegations involved 11 victims, all boys under the age of 16, between 1978 and 2009.

Carson had worked at Norwich City, Peterborough United and Cambridge United.

His trial was listed to start at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday morning. The court was told details of his death on Tuesday.

Prosecuting, Jeremy Benson said: “The defendant died yesterday morning.

“He was involved in a road traffic collision at about 9.45am yesterday morning.

“No other were involved.

“An investigation is being carried out and I therefore don’t propose vehicles CAR CRASH: Michael ‘Kit’ Carson to go into any other details.

“The position is that the car was registered to Mr Carson and the person who died was of the appropriate age and had in his possession identification documents in the name of Mr Carson.

“And also yesterday afternoon, at 4.30pm, the body was identified by Mr Carson’s widow.”

Inspector Amarjit Singh told the court the body of Carson was formally identified by his wife Pauline.

Judge Matthew Lowe ruled that the case file be closed.

Carson, of Riverside, Cambridge, had been on bail.

In a statement, Cambridgeshire Police said that Carson was driving his red Mazda 3 when it left the road and went into a tree on the A1303 at Bottisham, around seven miles east of Cambridge.

A spokesman said: “Emergency services attempted to save Mr Carson’s life but he was declared dead at the scene a short time later.

“No other vehicle or person was involved in the collision.”