Newcastle Man Jailed 9 Years for Boiling Oil Attack

In January, Mohammed Sarfaraz, 45, of Gosforth, Newcastle, hurled a pan of boiling cooking oil at officers who had gone to his parents' home to speak with him, an attack captured on officers' body-worn cameras. Two officers were struck; PC Christopher Bain suffered second- and third-degree burns, permanent scarring to his face and chest, briefly feared he might be blinded, was off work for weeks and continues to receive treatment at a burns unit. Sarfaraz then barricaded himself in a garage before being tasered and arrested; he denied wrongdoing saying he was about to cook an egg, but a jury unanimously convicted him of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, attempted wounding and affray. At Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to nine years in prison, saying the act was deliberate and intended to cause really serious harm. Court reporting and released footage also describe family members obstructing officers at the address and note Sarfaraz's prior disputes with police over access to his children and earlier confrontations.