John Henry Sayers, 62, and his son John Henry Sayers jnr, 29, are standing trial at the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, in London. Both deny a single charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Alleged machete attack on arsonist
The court heard on Wednesday that Sayers allegedly used a machete to seriously injure Walter Patterson, an arsonist he caught setting fire to a car that had been deliberately rammed into his home. The incident occurred in Byker, Newcastle, where Sayers was at home with his children when their restaurant downstairs, Lou's Diner, came under attack by a gang of men who reversed a Range Rover into it and torched it.
Jurors were told this was the latest in a series of attacks on the Sayers family in the years leading up to February last year. As he sat watching TV, Sayers heard his home shake and said he believed the people who had been targeting his family had come to kill him.
Weapons used and police response
Sayers and his son went outside armed with a machete and a metal bar and allegedly used the weapons to attack Patterson, who was left with serious injuries. When police arrived, they tasered Sayers after he allegedly refused to drop his weapon.
The court heard that Patterson will not be a witness in the trial. He was later charged with offences arising out of his actions that night and pleaded guilty, along with others, to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Sayers' allegations against police
The court also heard that Sayers and his son had not given their full support to police investigations. Sayers snr signed an officer's notebook stating he believed Northumbria Police was 'corrupt and colluding and protecting their informers who are to blame'.
The trial continues at the Old Bailey.
