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Men jailed for £15 debt murders | Men jailed for £15 debt murders |
(20 minutes later) | |
Two men found guilty of starting a fire that killed a 17-year-old girl and her grandmother in London have been jailed for life, with a minimum of 25 years. | Two men found guilty of starting a fire that killed a 17-year-old girl and her grandmother in London have been jailed for life, with a minimum of 25 years. |
Jake Sheehan, 20, of Bethnal Green, and David Philip, 19, from Bow, had denied murdering the pair over a £15 debt. | Jake Sheehan, 20, of Bethnal Green, and David Philip, 19, from Bow, had denied murdering the pair over a £15 debt. |
Shannen Vickers and Pauline Adams, 57, were asleep when petrol was poured through the letterbox of their flat in Mile End in February and set alight. | |
Sheehan and Philip were convicted of two counts of murder at the Old Bailey. | Sheehan and Philip were convicted of two counts of murder at the Old Bailey. |
The flat on the fifth floor of Malmesbury House in Cyprus Street, Bethnal Green, was set alight after Philip and Sheehan had a row with Mrs Adams' grandson, who also lived there, over a £15 debt. | |
Screams heard | |
At the end of the row Philip had shouted "we are going to burn your house down" - and went on to carry out his threat, by pouring petrol through the flat's letterbox and igniting it. | |
But only Shannen and her grandmother were in the flat at the time. | |
They died as a result of smoke inhalation, post-mortem tests found. Their pet cat and dog also died. | They died as a result of smoke inhalation, post-mortem tests found. Their pet cat and dog also died. |
Prosecutor Simon Denison QC said: "Pauline Adams and Shannen Vickers would have been asleep when the fire was set. | |
"They both woke up. Pauline went to Shannen's bedroom. | |
"Shannen was heard screaming for just a few seconds but she was not heard again. | |
"They were both overcome by the smoke and the fumes and they died together, lying side by side - two completely innocent people killed over a £15 debt and not losing face." | |
There was loud cheering and applause from the public gallery as Sheehan and Philip were jailed by Judge Richard Hawkins. |