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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Firework trio detained for death | Firework trio detained for death |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Three teenagers who killed a grandmother by pushing a firework through her letterbox have been sent to a young offenders institution. | Three teenagers who killed a grandmother by pushing a firework through her letterbox have been sent to a young offenders institution. |
| Mary Fox, 59, died in a fire at her home in Wallace Road, Bodmin, Cornwall, on 5 November 2009. | Mary Fox, 59, died in a fire at her home in Wallace Road, Bodmin, Cornwall, on 5 November 2009. |
| Owen Hewitt, 18, and Samual Luckes, 17, convicted of manslaughter and arson earlier, were sentenced to seven years. | |
| Ryan Croft, 18, of Wallace Road, Bodmin, who pleaded guilty in February, was sentenced to five years. | Ryan Croft, 18, of Wallace Road, Bodmin, who pleaded guilty in February, was sentenced to five years. |
| 'Give a fright' | 'Give a fright' |
| Truro Crown Court heard the firework had set alight a large amount of clutter in the hallway which had been hoarded by Mrs Fox. | |
| Unable to escape the building, she was overcome by fumes and smoke and died. | Unable to escape the building, she was overcome by fumes and smoke and died. |
| Her 17-year-old son Raum escaped by jumping from a first-floor bedroom window of the three-storey house. | Her 17-year-old son Raum escaped by jumping from a first-floor bedroom window of the three-storey house. |
| The jury heard that both Raum and his mother had been subjected to bullying and harassment by local youths. | The jury heard that both Raum and his mother had been subjected to bullying and harassment by local youths. |
| 'Bullied to death' | |
| Defence lawyers for Hewitt, of Bodmin Foyer, and Luckes, of Rhind Street, Bodmin, said that they had not meant to kill Mrs Fox and had only meant to "give the occupants a fright". | Defence lawyers for Hewitt, of Bodmin Foyer, and Luckes, of Rhind Street, Bodmin, said that they had not meant to kill Mrs Fox and had only meant to "give the occupants a fright". |
| Their families gasped and sobbed as the jury foreman delivered the majority verdict. | Their families gasped and sobbed as the jury foreman delivered the majority verdict. |
| In sentencing, Mr Justice Field said the three, who have previous convictions for assault and criminal damage, had acted in a "grossly reckless" way and were guilty of a "nasty and vicious form of bullying". | |
| He said each of them had "played a more or less an equal role" and that the sentences had to reflect the consequences of that. | |
| Firework death 'impact' on community | |
| After the trial, police said Hewitt and Luckes had "lied throughout" the case before they finally told the truth. | |
| Mrs Fox's family said the mother-of-nine was a self-sacrificing woman who was "loving and caring" and her death had been "senseless". | Mrs Fox's family said the mother-of-nine was a self-sacrificing woman who was "loving and caring" and her death had been "senseless". |
| In a statement after the trial, the family said the case had "turned their lives upside down tragically". | |
| But they also thanked people who came forward to help in the case, as well as those who had been supporting Raum after he lost mother and home. |