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| Benwell explosion: Reece Galbraith jailed over blast deaths | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Reece Galbraith admitted two counts of manslaughter | |
| A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing seven-year-old Archie York, has been jailed for 14 years. | A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing seven-year-old Archie York, has been jailed for 14 years. |
| Archie died when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, obliterated several homes in Benwell in the early hours of 16 October 2024, Newcastle Crown Court heard. | Archie died when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, obliterated several homes in Benwell in the early hours of 16 October 2024, Newcastle Crown Court heard. |
| The fatal explosion was caused by a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Jason Laws, 35, who was also killed, and Galbraith. | The fatal explosion was caused by a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Jason Laws, 35, who was also killed, and Galbraith. |
| Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter, with Archie's mother screaming at him in court that he had killed her son. | Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter, with Archie's mother screaming at him in court that he had killed her son. |
| Mr Laws and Galbraith were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make so-called cannabis shatter, a brittle substance containing a high concentration of the psychoactive compound THC which is used to form sweets from, prosecutor David Brooke KC said. | Mr Laws and Galbraith were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make so-called cannabis shatter, a brittle substance containing a high concentration of the psychoactive compound THC which is used to form sweets from, prosecutor David Brooke KC said. |
| 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis' | |
| At about 00:40 BST, their "sophisticated" factory exploded, killing Archie, who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, and totally destroying six homes, the court heard. | At about 00:40 BST, their "sophisticated" factory exploded, killing Archie, who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, and totally destroying six homes, the court heard. |
| Archie York was killed in the blast | |
| There was then a "fierce fire" and the block ultimately had to be demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and possessions, Mr Brooke said. | |
| Archie had been asleep in his living room when the blast occurred and was killed instantly, while his father Robbie York, mother Katherine Errington and seven-week-old brother Finley all survived, the court heard. | |
| Mr Brooke said there had also been an "enormous impact" on the local area, with the damage and costs to Newcastle City Council valued at £3.7m, 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused. | |
| Ms Errington told the court her son's death had "broken us in ways I didn't know possible" and the family had "lost everything", adding she felt "survivor's guilt". | |
| In a fury, she angrily told Galbraith he "took risks for profit" before screaming at him: "You killed my son." | |
| "This was your choice," Ms Errington said. "We will never forgive you for what you did to our beautiful boy." | |
| The court heard Archie's beloved dog Chase had also been killed in the blast. | |
| The explosion severely damaged multiple homes | |
| In a statement read to the court, Mr York said he felt "nothing but anger" towards Galbraith and Mr Laws, adding he had "no sympathy" for the latter's death. | |
| "They were making drugs whilst my family slept upstairs unaware of the danger that was below us," Mr York said. | |
| He said Galbraith and Mr Laws' illegal operation had put multiple children at risk while their own children slept safely elsewhere, adding: "We worked hard for what we had and they did nothing but inflict pain and misery on others." | |
| Another neighbour, who had lost her home of 18 years, said the men were horrible, selfish and greedy. | |
| One woman said her seven-month-old daughter had been blown across her bedroom and was found beneath a pile of drawers and bricks, with the woman fearing the girl would need medical treatment for the rest of her life. | |
| Galbraith and Mr Laws were making cannabis sweets | |
| Police found dozens of cannisters of liquid butane gas and expensive equipment used to make cannabis shatter in the debris, the court heard. | |
| Mr Brooke said butane was used in the production process but it was "highly dangerous" and "extremely flammable". | |
| He said the cannisters clearly displayed multiple vivid warnings which Mr Laws and Galbraith had ignored. | |
| Galbraith, of Rectory Road, had also been in the flat and was found in the wreckage covered in severe burns, going on to spend a month in a coma in hospital. | |
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