Mum's heartbreak at son's arrest after dad murdered in the street

Mikey Allsop was just 17 when - after seeing his father, Dean Allsop, being set upon by Jamie Crosbie - he ran to grab a machete and struck the killer with it in a bid to halt the assault on his dad.

James Crosbie has appeared in court charged with murder of Dean Allsop, pictured. (Image: Facebook)

In the aftermath of the fatal attack on Mr Allsop, Mikey was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Mikey, son of Dean Allsop, taking part in a ride out in memory of his father. (Image: Submitted)

Speaking ahead of Crosbie's sentencing for the murder of Mr Allsop on Wednesday, Mikey's mum, Louise Newell, 41, said it had been a "bit of a blur".

Miss Newell had been in hospital being treated for serious injuries she had received herself in the attack when she found out her son had been arrested.

"I was having a lot of pain relief and was taken to hospital," she said.

"They wouldn't tell me what had happened to Mikey.

"I didn't find out till the next day that he had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

"I was confused because I didn't see that part of it.

"He was trying to protect his father."

Camera footage of a panicked Mikey running into the garage after Crosbie had attacked his father was shown to the jury during the trial earlier this summer.

Police at the scene of the fatal stabbing of Dean Allsop in Thorpe St Andrew in April last year (Image: Archant 2021)

Miss Newell said: "You could see the sheer panic in Mikey.

"You could see it wasn't a pre-mediated act - you could see him run in and run back out, it was just instinctive.

"They didn't tell me why they arrested him until they released him.

"He was told by the police in a cell that his father had passed away.

"He was only 17-years-old, he was alone, he was worried about me.

"It was just awful."

Asked what Mikey felt about having been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the attack, Miss Newell said: "I think the grief from losing his father overwhelmed that completely.

"It was just heart-breaking for me."

Having been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Mikey was questioned by detectives before being released under investigation while enquiries continued.

But a spokesman for Norfolk Police later confirmed Mikey would not face any further charges following the incident.

Miss Newell said: "The relief when they revealed there would be no further action - it was just one less thing to worry about."