Former coach Michael 'Kit' Carson, due to stand trial for sexual abuse of young boys, has died
Tuesday 8 January 2019 12:11, UK
Former youth football coach and scout Michael 'Kit' Carson, due to stand trial accused of the sexual abuse of boys aged under 16, died in a single vehicle road traffic collision on Monday morning.
Carson, whose trial had been due to begin at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday, 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.
Cambridgeshire Police said the allegations involved 11 victims, all boys under the age of 16, between 1978 and 2009.
Carson worked at Norwich City, Peterborough United and Cambridge United.
His trial was listed to start at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday, and on Tuesday the court was told details of his death.
Jeremy Benson, prosecuting, said: "The defendant died yesterday morning. He was involved in a road traffic collision at about 9.45am yesterday morning.
"No other vehicles were involved.
"There is an investigation being carried out and I therefore don't propose 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. Yesterday afternoon at approximately 4.30pm the body was identified by Mr Carson's widow."
Inspector Amarjit Singh QPM told the court the body of Carson was formally identified by his wife Pauline Carson.
Judge Matthew Lowe ruled that the case file be closed.
