Sophie Doughty

A father and son were acquitted at the Old Bailey of causing grievous bodily harm after confronting an arsonist who crashed a vehicle into their Newcastle home and set it alight. John Henry Sayers acted with a machete and his son with a metal pole after believing their family was in immediate danger, with CCTV capturing the confrontation. The court heard the family had faced repeated threats from an organised crime group and that police had previously issued Osman warnings. After 18 months on remand in high‑security prisons, both men were unanimously cleared, while the arsonist later admitted his offence and was jailed. The family now plans to rebuild their lives and damaged businesses.