John Henry Sayers had been warned his life was in danger at the hands of a violent criminal gang who had repeatedly targeted him, a court heard. Sayers and his son are standing trial accused of assaulting an arsonist who they caught torching a Range Rover which had been rammed into his home in Byker, Newcastle and turned into a "fireball".
Background of attacks
Jurors at the Old Bailey, in London, were told that was the latest in a series of attacks carried out by people referred to by Sayers' barrister as "The Freeman group". Sayers had been given an Osman warning by police, which is issued when officers believe there is a genuine threat to someone's life.
It was against that background that, in February last year, the Range Rover attack took place. CCTV played in court showed the car being smashed into Lou's Diner, which is under Sayers' home on Fossway, Byker, buckling plastic doors.
The incident
As Walter Patterson ignited the car, which was laden with a full drum of fuel, Sayers and his son, John Henry Sayers jnr, emerged from the side of the property armed with a machete and metal bar, which they allegedly used to attack Patterson and cause him serious injury. Both deny causing GBH with intent.
The footage also shows Sayers being tasered by police as he headed back towards his home and he ended up lying on the ground.
Police warnings
Sayers snr's barrister, Michael Holland KC, put it to the officer in the case, Det Sgt Darren Davies: "This is part of a sustained series of attacks on Mr Sayers and his family which goes back years." The officer replied: "Until 2022 to the best of my knowledge."
Mr Holland said: "The police have established the group that’s behind that is, can we call them the Freemans. They are a well established criminal gang in Newcastle." The officer agreed.
Mr Holland went on: "They are well established as violent criminals and they have sustained their attacks on Mr Sayers and his family since at least 2022."
Mr Holland put it to the officer: "In terms of the general position Mr Sayers was in, the information available was the Freeman group were intent on killing Mr Sayers. That’s the information the police had." The officer agreed.
Mr Holland said: "That led police to give him a warning his life was at risk?" Det Sgt Davies said: "Yes." Mr Holland explains how an Osman warning works, with police informing someone when there is a threat to their life.
Family circumstances
Det Sgt Davies agreed with Mr Holland that Sayers was a single parent, having been widowed twice. Mr Holland said the attack on Sayers’ home was an "attack on a sole parent who had been warned his life was at risk from these organised criminals, with his children in his own home". The officer replied: "Yes."
Details of the arson
Referring to the Range Rover, Mr Holland said: "It’s quite clear the vehicle had been primed with quite large amounts of petrol or accelerant in order to ignite it. It ignites like a fireball and blew out the rear window of the Range Rover, that’s the part closest to the building." Det Sgt Davies agreed.
Mr Holland continued: "Walter Patterson threw a lighter into the vehicle. It would have been in his hand as the two Sayers came around the corner, so the first they would see is a man with something in his hand followed by an explosion in the vehicle."
Aftermath and tasering
Mr Holland said that when he was tasered, Sayers snr was running back towards his home, where there was a child present. He pointed out that in an earlier attack, a number of cars had turned up. He added that Sayers can’t have known whether or not the attack was at an end at that point.
Mr Holland put it to the officer: "The Freeman group is not an easily deterred group, is it?" Det Sgt Davies says: "No."
Mr Holland went on: "As far as the Freeman group is concerned, one of their activities is extortion." The officer says "I believe so."
Mr Holland added: "They extort local business, they tax them. And Mr Sayers has his local business here."
Explosion and police response
Mr Holland highlighted a "flare up" on the footage of "more petrol catching fire" and the officer said there was a "full drum of fuel in the car". Mr Holland also said explosion or possibly more than one can be heard.
The officer confirmed a flashing on the footage is from both PCs who attended the scene discharging their tasers at Sayers.
Summarising the position as he sees it, Mr Holland said: "He has had his home firebombed with (a child) upstairs, he has pursued one of the people who did it, he can’t know whether there are more assailants on the scene and when the police come he is arrested in relation to a weapon while Mr Patterson escapes. Is that fair?" Det Sgt Davies replies: "Yes."
CCTV evidence
CCTV played to jurors shows a white van and Range Rover arriving in the area with the Range Rover doing a U-turn and moving towards Lou’s Diner. It then reverses into Lou’s Diner with the driver and front seat passenger getting out. It rolls forward and the two men get back in and reverse it into the property.
The driver runs away but the front seat passenger - Patterson - remains at the scene. Sayers and his son come out of their property and allegedly strike blows on Patterson with weapons.
Sayers snr gets in the burning Range Rover and puts it in gear or into neutral to send it across the road, away from his home. It can be seen on the other side of the road in flames.
Three minutes after the incident started, two police officers arrived. Jurors are told a figure seen running is Sayers senior, who was then tasered and ends up on the ground.
Sayers snr, 62 and Sayers jnr, 29, both of Fossway, Byker, Newcastle, deny causing GBH with intent. The trial continues.
