Two teenagers admitted manslaughter in the death of a 76 year old man in Dagenham, East London.
The teens were charged with murder and arson earlier. However, prosecutors will accept manslaughter pleas now. Both teens pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but they denied murder and arson charges.
One teen appeared via video from a detention center, while the other wore a suit in court. The court wants psychiatric and pre-sentence reports to help determine the sentence.
Robert Price died from smoke inhalation and burns. Firefighters arrived at 5:30 pm on July 27, 2024, and extinguished the fire around 6:40 pm that day. Police got information about how the fire started and someone said a group threw a flare into Price’s home.
The judge said she will sentence them on April 25th. For now, they remain in youth custody, with one staying in local authority housing.