Mohammed Sarfaraz, 45, from Gosforth, Newcastle, threw hot cooking oil at police officers who visited at a home, leaving one with scarring on his face and chest
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter and Rob Kennedy
17:24, 21 Oct 2025
Horrific new footage shows the moment a taxi driver throws boiling hot oil at a police officer’s face.
Mohammed Sarfaraz, 45, from Gosforth, Newcastle, was jailed for nine years today after launching a pan of hot cooking oil towards multiple officers, hitting two of them and causing scars to one.
The incident unfolded on January 10 when five officers went to speak to him about a criminal allegation and located him inside a property, where he began to make verbal threats.
Sarfaraz then barricaded himself in the garage, where he was eventually Tasered and arrested. He was charged the next day with affray, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and was convicted following a trial.
Mohammed Sarfaraz, 45, from Newcastle, has been jailed for nine years over the attack(Image: Northumbria Police)
One of the victims, PC Christopher Bain from Northumbria Police, sustained second and third degree burns on his skin, leaving him with scarring on his face and chest.
Sarfaraz was found at the address by a female officer in the kitchen carrying a frying pan which had smoke coming from it, and he shouted at the police to get out.
He was told to put the pan down but refused to do so. PC Bain and another officer then entered the room with their Tasers drawn, after being warned he had a hot pan.
Describing what happened next in his sentencing remarks, Judge Robert Adams said: “As you backed away, you swung the contents of the pan at the two officers. It clearly contained hot oil and it mainly hit PC Bain and some hit his colleague.
“You clearly intended to cause those officers really serious harm. PC Bain was burned by the oil. He reacted in an understandable fashion afterwards but carried on performing his duties while dealing with the burns.
Sarfaraz launched a pan of hot cooking oil at the police officers
“The footage shows the pan being swung. It was not an accident, it was a deliberate act on your part. You said you were about to fry an egg when the police broke in and assaulted you. That was clearly untrue.”
Sarfaraz then barricaded himself in the garage, and officers used a battering ram to force entry and he was Tasered and arrested.
PC Bain said in a victim impact statement that he was off work for weeks, had to attend the burns unit every two to three days and faced uncertainly about whether he would need skin grafts. He added that he was left struggling to sleep.
In a separate incident, on May 28, 2024, Sarfaraz called the police from outside his wife’s home in Kenton, Newcastle, complaining about not being able to see his children. When told it was a civil matter and asked to leave, he refused and ended up being told he was going to be arrested, during which he kicked out at one of the officer’s legs and body.
Sarfaraz was found guilty of GBH with intent, attempted GBH with intent, affray and assaulting a police officer.
One officer was left with third degree burns and scars on his neck and face
He wrote a 30-page statement to the judge maintaining his innocence, accusing the police of terrorising him, saying he was discriminated against and attempting to “blackmail” Judge Adams by saying he would take his own life if he got a substantial prison sentence. But the judge told him: “I won’t be blackmailed in that way.”
After sentencing, Detective Inspector Marc Lennox said: “This was a shocking incident, which saw Mohammed Sarfaraz attack officers who were attempting to speak with him.
“They were simply doing their job, and made countless attempts to communicate with Sarfaraz about their intentions on the visit and why they were there. Despite several warnings, he has dangerously thrown hot oil at them in a bid to get away from them – and went on to deny his violent behaviour despite overwhelming evidence against him.
“Sarfaraz even defended his actions in interview, claiming he was preparing to cook an egg while officers attended the house.”
Det Insp Lennox added: “I would like to commend those officers involved for their bravery and professionalism in what must have been a fast-moving and terrifying incident.
“I’m pleased to see that Sarfaraz will now spend a lengthy spell behind bars – while the victims continue to move forward with their duties.”
