Six men, including Stephen Sayers and his two sons, are standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of violent disorder following an alleged clash on Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle. The incident, which occurred on July 12 2025, is said to have happened amid a feud with another family.
Stephen Sayers, 61, Stephen Sayers Jnr, 33, Thomas Sayers, 31, Anthony Brown, 24, Lee Jamieson, 22, and Bradley Fraser, 26, all deny violent disorder and the alternative of affray. The court heard the alleged disturbance involved glasses, bottles, and punches being thrown.
Prosecution outlines events
Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, told jurors that the defendants were socialising outside a bar called The Road, owned by Thomas Sayers, when a Ford pickup pulled up. CCTV footage played in court showed the vehicle stop in a disabled parking bay before driving onto the pavement alongside the outdoor seating.
Miss Smithies described how Thomas Sayers called ‘da’ to draw his father’s attention to the vehicle. Stephen Sayers Snr then approached the passenger side, dumped the contents of his drink, and hurled the empty glass at the passenger. Jamieson is said to have thrown a beer glass at the front of the pickup, and Thomas Sayers threw a bottle at the driver.
Further alleged actions
The court heard that Bradley Fraser threw an empty beer glass at the pickup, and Stephen Sayers Jnr ran to the vehicle, placed his hands on its bonnet, and threw punches at the passenger window as it rolled up. He then opened the front passenger door while the vehicle reversed, with the passenger reportedly fighting to keep it closed.
As the pickup reversed down Shields Road, it was pursued by several men. Thomas Sayers threw another missile at its front, and Anthony Brown allegedly threw a missile as it passed him. Footage from a bus camera captured a bystander’s alarmed response to Brown’s action, according to the prosecutor.
Background of feud
Miss Smithies said the incident did not happen in a vacuum, noting evidence of earlier incidents in which the defendants and family members had been targets of violent attacks by people associated with the Freeman family. She described a long-standing feud between the two families.
The court heard that police were called by a bystander and arrived within minutes but were “met with a wall of silence”. All six defendants declined to answer police questions under caution, making no comment throughout.
The prosecutor said the driver and passenger of the pickup were never identified, and their actions were not the direct subject of the trial. She argued that throwing glasses and bottles, chasing the car, and trying to open the door were “not defensive acts, but acts of aggression”, rejecting the defendants’ claims of self-defence.
The trial continues.
