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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Man pleads guilty to fire murders | Man pleads guilty to fire murders |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Sally-Ann Baxter-Smith and her daughter Lois died in hospital | Sally-Ann Baxter-Smith and her daughter Lois died in hospital |
| A 37-year-old man has admitted murdering a woman and her teenage daughter who died in hospital after a house fire in East Sussex. | A 37-year-old man has admitted murdering a woman and her teenage daughter who died in hospital after a house fire in East Sussex. |
| Anthony Scrase, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in a hearing at Lewes Crown Court. | Anthony Scrase, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in a hearing at Lewes Crown Court. |
| Sally-Ann Baxter Smith, 38, and 14-year-old Lois died from smoke inhalation after the fire in their mid-terrace house in Eastbourne, in 2003. | Sally-Ann Baxter Smith, 38, and 14-year-old Lois died from smoke inhalation after the fire in their mid-terrace house in Eastbourne, in 2003. |
| Two other children, a boy and a girl, escaped from an upstairs window. | Two other children, a boy and a girl, escaped from an upstairs window. |
| Neither of of them suffered serious injury during the incident in Beach Road. | Neither of of them suffered serious injury during the incident in Beach Road. |
| Scrase is due to be sentenced at a date still to be set. | Scrase is due to be sentenced at a date still to be set. |
| Scrase admitted the charges during a plea and case management hearing, and details were not opened by prosecutor Richard Barton. | Scrase admitted the charges during a plea and case management hearing, and details were not opened by prosecutor Richard Barton. |
| The court heard Scrase was already serving an indeterminate sentence. | The court heard Scrase was already serving an indeterminate sentence. |
| On the night of the blaze, Ms Baxter Smith, Lois and another daughter Rhiannon had dinner at their home with family friend Cheryl Seppings and her son Jay. | On the night of the blaze, Ms Baxter Smith, Lois and another daughter Rhiannon had dinner at their home with family friend Cheryl Seppings and her son Jay. |
| 'Evil and dangerous man' | 'Evil and dangerous man' |
| Later Ms Seppings went home, but let Jay stay the night because he had fallen asleep on the sofa. | Later Ms Seppings went home, but let Jay stay the night because he had fallen asleep on the sofa. |
| In the early hours, they were woken by thick black smoke and flames in the two-storey house. | In the early hours, they were woken by thick black smoke and flames in the two-storey house. |
| Jay and Rhiannon managed to escape, but Ms Baxter Smith and Lois were found on a bed with their arms wrapped around each other. | Jay and Rhiannon managed to escape, but Ms Baxter Smith and Lois were found on a bed with their arms wrapped around each other. |
| After the hearing, Ms Baxter Smith's daughter Chelsea said: "We have waited until today to find out the truth about their deaths. | After the hearing, Ms Baxter Smith's daughter Chelsea said: "We have waited until today to find out the truth about their deaths. |
| "With Anthony Scrase's plea of guilty to their murders we now know the truth. | "With Anthony Scrase's plea of guilty to their murders we now know the truth. |
| "We hope that the sentence handed down to this evil and dangerous man will ensure that he will no longer be a danger to the public." | "We hope that the sentence handed down to this evil and dangerous man will ensure that he will no longer be a danger to the public." |
| Outside court, Det Ch Insp Trevor Bowles said Scrase was a violent man with a lengthy history of offending. | |
| When he was arrested, he was already serving an indeterminate sentence for assaulting two police officers in Eastbourne in 2006. | |
| Mr Bowles said he tried to strangle a female officer during the incident. | |
| He said Scrase, who was brought up in south London, had lived next door but one to the victims and was known to them but was not a family friend. | |
| He said: "The motive has always been questionable. However, jealousy, rage and a violent temper feature in the case. | |
| "What we now know is that he will never again be able to create another victim." |