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Hard-man jailed after Newcastle nightclub shooting

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September 21, 2018
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A WELL-known hard man has been jailed after being convicted of an offence relating to the ride-by shooting of a nightclub bouncer.

John Henry Sayers was given a three-and-a-half-year sentence at the Old Bailey on Friday after being convicted of perverting the course of justice, a court official said.

During the trial, jurors were told the defendant was “a man to be feared” who had “acquired and promoted a reputation” and would not allow his name to be disrespected.

He had initially been accused of ordering the attack on doorman Matthew McCauley outside the Tup Tup Palace on June 6 2015, but was found not guilty of conspiracy to murder, alongside co-defendant Michael Dixon, 50. Both men are from Walker, Newcastle.

Prosecutor Simon Denison QC had claimed Sayers ordered the attack after his son was turned away from the Newcastle nightclub weeks earlier, but this was rejected by the jury.

The 54-year-old was also cleared of conspiracy to possess a shotgun with intent to endanger life, while Dixon was found guilty of the same offence and given a life sentence with a minimum of eight years, the court official said.

Sayers and a third defendant, Michael McDougall, 50, were convicted of perverting the course of justice over a false statement given in 2017.

Convicted murderer McDougall, who is serving a life sentence, told “a pack of lies” by trying to claim he was the gunman in the incident, jurors heard.

As a result, he was given two years to run consecutively after his current life sentence

Sayers had previously been cleared of ordering another murder – the doorstep shooting of a man in 2000 – and subsequently cleared of nobbling the Leeds jury in that case.

However, he is a convicted robber and tax evader and is said to be a name to be feared in Tyneside.

Northern Echo

Details of the murder conviction can be found here.

Tipu’s killer set for new jail term after claiming to be Tup Tup Palace shooter

By
August 21, 2018
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Michael McDougall.

Michael McDougall.

A killer who murdered a takeaway boss has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice after claiming to be a gunman responsible for a nightclub shooting.

Michael McDougall, 50, previously of Hylton Avenue, Marsden, South Shields and now an inmate of HMP Wakefield, has been found guilty of the charge following a trial at the Old Bailey in London.

The offence relates to a drive-by shooting outside Tup Tup Palace in Newcastle, on June 6, 2015.

A 24-year-old doorman was shot in the arm when a gunman on a motorbike opened fire using a sawn-off shotgun.

McDougall was jailed for a life sentence of 34 years in April 2016 after he was found guilty of shooting Sunderland dad-of-two Tipu Sultan.

The 32-year-old businessman had run the Herbs & Spice Kitchen takeaway in Lake Avenue, Marsden, South Shields, with his family.

McDougall was also found guilty of two charges of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

His co-accused Michael Mullen, 24, of Hawthorne Avenue, Cleadon Park, South Shields, who had taken McDougall to and from the murder scene on the back of a motorbike, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

He was jailed for 12 years.

Just weeks after he was jailed McDougall launched an appeal against his conviction, which was denied by a judge.

Today, McDougall was found guilty of perverting the justice over a false statement made in 2017 as part of the inquiry into the Tup Tup incident.

The court heard the convicted murderer told “a pack of lies” by trying to claim he was the gunman, jurors heard.

He was jointly charged and stood trial alongside John Henry Sayers, 54, of Fossway, Walker, Newcastle, and Michael Dixon, 50, of no fixed address, who were accused of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess a firearm.

Sayers, a well-known hard man, has been cleared of ordering the ride-by shooting of a bouncer because his son had been thrown out of a nightclub, but has been told he still faces a prison term for perverting the course of justice.

The court heard doorman Matthew McCauley was lucky to survive the shooting, which also left two other members of staff injured.

Sayers was accused of ordering Dixon to carry out the shooting after his son was ejected from the club weeks before.

An Old Bailey jury deliberated for more than 30 hours to find Sayers and Dixon, both from Walker in Newcastle, not guilty of conspiracy to murder.

The pair gave audible sighs of relief in the dock as they were cleared of the offence.

Sayers was also acquitted of conspiring to possess a shotgun with intent to endanger life, while Dixon was found guilty by a majority of 11 to one.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC told serving prisoner Dixon he would take into account that he had already been convicted of another offence committed around the same time.

A fourth defendant – Russell Sturman, 26, from Gosforth, Newcastle – hugged his co-accused in the dock after being cleared of assisting an offender.

Before the trial started, there had been an unsuccessful application by the prosecution to try the case without a jury and it was held well away from Sayers’ home turf in the North East.

Sayers had already been cleared of ordering another murder – the doorstep shooting of a man in 2000 – and subsequently cleared of nobbling the Leeds jury in that case.

However, he is a convicted armed robber and tax-evader and said to be a name to be feared on Tyneside.

Sayers’ son had been thrown out of the trendy Tup Tup Palace and was punched by a doorman weeks earlier.

Prosecutor Simon Denison QC said Sayers had “acquired and promoted a reputation”, and he wouldn’t allow his name to be “disrespected”.

Sayers’ reputation “as a man to be feared” meant “doors are opened for his family”, he added.

“Of course, that only lasts as long as the reputation is believed to be justified – which means that if his family is disrespected, violence has to follow.”

The family was given free entry to clubs without having to queue and free access to VIP areas “just to avoid serious trouble”.

The convicted defendants were remanded into custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, September 21.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “This case was thoroughly investigated by a team of dedicated detectives.

“The evidence was subjected to careful scrutiny before a decision was taken to charge and it was only right that this evidence was put in front of a jury.

“We respect the decision the jury has made.”

Sunderland Echo

Michael McDougall was convicted of murder in 2016 and details of that murder can be found here

Tipu Sultan shooting: Murderer must serve at least 34 years for killing takeaway boss

By
March 15, 2016
Uncategorized

MM

Michael McDougall was convicted of blasting popular Tipu Sultan to death from point-blank range with a sawn-off shotgun at his shop in South Shields

Gunned down Tipu Sultan’s murderer must serve at least 34 years behind bars after a jury convicted him of killing the popular takeaway boss.

Michael McDougall blasted the 32-year-old dad-of-two in the neck from point-blank range with a sawn-off shotgun at his shop in South Shields, in front of his dad.

A jury at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday found McDougall guilty of murder, while co-accused Michael Mullen was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.

McDougall was jailed for life with a minimum of 34 years, while Mullen was locked up for 12 years.

McDougall, 47, was told by trial judge Mrs Justice Thirwall to stop shaking his head at the jury after they convicted him.

And after finding out he will be an old man before he has any chance of freedom, the remorseless killer asked the judge: “Can you not suspend mine for 12 months please?”

Sentencing him, Mrs Justice Thirlwall said: “In early April last year you got hold of a sawn-off shotgun and you were going to use it to kill a man.

“What reason you had for that, I don’t know, I doubt you will ever say. You planned the killing and recruited Mullen as your getaway driver.

“The killing took place at 10pm. Very young teenagers were out playing, a lot on their bikes, playing team tig. Some were scarcely feet away.

“What they witnessed will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

“He had no prospect of withstanding that lethal attack. He died at the scene. His father, who was standing close to his son when he was shot, witnessed his killing.

“No words can adequately describe the terror and horror he experienced.”

The judge said Mullen was recruited as getaway driver by older, more heavily convicted criminal, McDougall, for what he thought was a robbery and was unaware McDougall was armed with a shotgun.

The judge told Mullen: “You did not intend Tipu Sultan to be shot and killed or caused any serious injury and you believed you were assisting a violent criminal in the commission of a robbery.”

Tipu was cleaning at his Herbs and Spice shop in South Shields when his killer came to the back door one night last April.

No clear motive for the attack had been established but prosecutors said it had the hallmarks of a targeted killing.

Mahsum Sultan, Tipi’s brother, read a victim impact statement to the court on behalf of the family.

He said: “The violent way Tipu was taken away from us has changed our lives beyond recognition.

“Our family is now broken and the pain felt by his loss can’t be put into words.

“No children should ever lose their father at the age of seven and two years old.

“Tipu’s death has put a great emotional strain on our family.

“Our parents no longer sleep properly, Tipu is constantly on their minds.

“My father will never get over the trauma of his son being murdered in front of him but he carries on for the sake of his family.

“My family depended on Tipu for everything, my mother is now always anxious.

“Tipu was not only the provider for his family but the protector of his family and children.

“Tipu lived for his children and was a wonderful father. His daughter was his princess.

“Knowing Tipu will never see his children grow up is really hard to bear.”

McDougall, of Hylton Avenue, South Shields, was found guilty of murder and two counts of possessing a firearm with intent.

Mullen, 25, of Hawthorne Avenue, South Shields, was found not guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter, not guilty of possessing a firearm with intent and not guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

After the case, Mahsum added in a statement on behalf of the family: “We will always remember Tipu as the wonderful father, son, brother and husband he was.

“We all talk about Tipu to his children every day and they will always know how much he loved them and cared for them. It brings us all some happiness to be around the children who have their father’s looks and personality.

“As a family, we would all like to thank all the witnesses that have come forward in this case, in particular the young witnesses who gave evidence. We know this must have been very difficult for you all but we are hugely grateful for your contribution to today’s verdict.

“We have been praying for justice and today we welcome the outcome. It brings a small amount of closure and peace of mind to help us move on with our lives.”

Det Ch Insp John Bent said: “We are pleased with today’s verdict. These men will behind bars for a very long time for the cold and brutal murder of a much loved member of the community.

“Our thoughts remain with Tipu’s family at this time. I hope that today’s verdict brings some justice to them however they have lost a much loved brother, son, husband and father and they have to live with that for the rest of their lives.”

Supt Sarah Pitt added: “The tragic death of Tipu Sultan had a significant impact for the people of Sunderland and South Shields and the Bangladeshi community here. We work closely with our communities to ensure their concerns and issues are listened to and action taken to help reassure our residents.

“I want to thank the Bangladeshi community in Sunderland and South Shields for their dignity and patience throughout this investigation and I hope today’s outcome helps bring some solace and closure for them.”

Newcastle Chronicle