Stephen Sayers and his sons have been cleared of violent disorder after a feud with an organised crime group brought ugly scenes to a Tyneside street. For years, the notorious Newcastle family have come under attack by an organised crime gang named in court as the Freemans.
Stephen Sayers' brother, John Henry, in particular, has been targeted by the group in a series of attacks. He was cleared of GBH with intent earlier this year after catching an arsonist when a car was reversed into his property and set on fire while his children were at home.
Incident at The Road bar
Against a background of repeated attacks on the Sayers family, a car linked to the Freemans provocatively pulled up outside a bar owned by Stephen's son, Thomas Sayers, where both were present along with Thomas' brother, Stephen Sayers jnr.
CCTV captures Stephen Sayers snr going towards the car and throwing a glass at the passenger window before others joined in the attack, during which glasses, bottles and punches were thrown at the vehicle. Stephen Sayers jnr could be seen punching the passenger window and opening the door as the Ford pickup reversed away up Shields Road, in Byker, Newcastle.
Defence teams for the three Sayers and three other men said they were acting in self-defence, fearing what those in the car might do, given the previous attacks. And now a jury at Newcastle Crown Court has found Stephen Sayers, 61, Stephen Sayers Jnr, 33, Thomas Sayers, 31, Anthony Brown, 24, Lee Jamieson, 22 and Bradley Fraser, 26, not guilty of violent disorder. After telling them they were "free to go", Judge Edward Bindloss told them to be quiet in court and "celebrate outside please".
Background of attacks
Jurors were told the incident happened on July 12 2025, a sunny Saturday evening on which the six defendants were all together, at a bar called The Road, which was owned by Thomas Sayers. CCTV played in court captured what happened while a number of people were socialising outside the pub.
A Ford Pickup slowly approached before pulling up onto the pavement near the outdoor seating. Amid shouting, a number of people then threw things at the car, which reversed quickly away with people in pursuit before driving off forwards, narrowly avoiding knocking someone over.
Explaining the background to the incident during the trial, prosecutor Deborah Smithies said: "Outbreaks of public violence like this tend not to happen in a vacuum. There is always something that lies behind it, and this is no exception.
"You'll hear some evidence in this trial of a long series of earlier incidents, in which these defendants and other family members had been the targets of violent attacks of various kinds, which appear to have been perpetrated by various people associated with a family by the name of Freeman."
The Freeman family and the Sayers family have, it seems, been locked in a long-standing feud which has found expression in acts of serious violence.
She added: "What the defendants in this case say is that their perception of what was happening, and their reactions, were informed by the previous series of attacks carried out upon members of the Sayers family.
"These defendants didn't start this incident, it started when whoever was in the pickup drove it into the parking bay in front of the bar."
Series of attacks detailed
Jurors were read a number of agreed facts about the background to the incident. Miss Smithies said: "Police are aware from 2022 onwards that the Freeman organised crime group have been involved in a violent campaign involving a number of attacks on the Sayers family."
The jury was told that on Thursday June 16 2022 at 4.22pm, a large group of masked males armed with weapons arrived in multiple vehicles and attacked the business premises and home of John Henry Sayers at Fossway, Newcastle. John Henry Sayers and his children were at home at the time of that incident.
Another agreed fact states that John Henry Sayers was seen to leave his house holding a large knife and footage from the incident shows that one of the offenders drove a Nissan Pathfinder vehicle towards him deliberately and at speed and he had to jump onto another car to avoid being hit.
The jury was told that "the individuals responsible for this attack are known to be part of, or associated with, the Freeman Organised Crime Group".
On September 8 2022, a car belonging to Michael Sayers, the brother of John Henry Sayers and Stephen Sayers, was set on fire outside his home. On September 19 2022, just after midnight, John Sayers Jnr's "Saye's To Go" retail van, in Newcastle city centre, was approached by masked men on an offroad motorcycle. The men poured accelerant on the van and set fire to it before leaving the scene.
At 9.10am on May 31 2023 a stolen tipper truck was reversed into the gable end of the home address of Stephen Sayers and his partner, who were both present in the home at the time. The truck was reversed into an area containing gas and electric meters which ruptured the main gas intake to the property causing a gas leak. The damage to the electrical intake unit caused a spark which ignited the gas and caused a significant fire within the property and substantial damage to the side of the property.
On July 4 2023 at 5.39am, three men wearing balaclavas arrived in a Jeep Cherokee at John Henry Sayers' daughter's home, where a six-year-old was present. The men were carrying weapons including a machete, pickaxe handle and bladed garden tool. They smashed the windows of the house and threw glass bottles containing a black mixture damaging the property outside and inside. A parked car was also damaged.
On November 3 2023, a stolen commercial flatbed vehicle was deliberately reversed into the front shutter of John Henry Sayers daughter's restaurant in Newcastle. Another agreed fact stated that the grave of Yvonne Sayers, John and Stephens' late mother, had been vandalised.
The jury was also told that on 5 November 2024 men wearing balaclavas threw a significant number of lit fireworks into the yard at the side of John Henry Sayers home and business premises at Fossway, causing damage.
On November 22 2024, a vehicle belonging to a niece of Stephen Sayers was damaged at the rear of her home address by two offenders. The passenger side door handle was pulled off and a window smashed.
On January 31 2025, occupants of a black Vauxhall Astra reversed into the driveway to side of John Henry Sayers' property. Two men got out of the vehicle and set fire to John Henry Sayers Jnr's VW Golf which was in a garage connected to the property. This caused substantial damage to the vehicle and also caused damage to the roof of the garage.
Also on January 31 2025, occupants of a black Range Rover set fire to Thomas Sayers' car outside his home address. The offenders also rammed his sister's car which was parked nearby. Officers attended the property and observed three large sandbags positioned on the driveway acting as a barricade and the letter box had been secured shut.
On February 2 2025 a black Range Rover was repeatedly rammed into the front of John Henry Sayers' property. The vehicle contained canisters containing petrol. The occupants of the vehicle set fire to the vehicle and made off from the scene. John Henry Sayers was able to move the vehicle away from the property before it exploded, thus preventing significant damage to the property and risk to the lives of the occupants. At the time of the attack on the property John Henry Sayers children were at home.
On May 4 2025, a further arson attack took place at the premises of John Henry Sayers. At the time of the attack, his teenage son was alone in the property.
