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Norwich teenager found guilty of arson after church hall is gutted by fire (11 May 2015)

Date: 11/05/2015
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Norwich teenager found guilty of arson after church hall is gutted by fire

A 16-year-old from Norwich has been found guilty of arson, after starting a fire which destroyed a church hall.

The Eastern Daily Press reports that the teenager from west Norwich – who cannot be named for legal reasons – denied arson relating to a fire on 17 February 2014, which destroyed the church hall of St Anne’s Church in Earlham.

The teenager told Norwich Youth Court he had not gone inside the church hall, but had remained outside.

However, a witness saw two boys outside the church hall – and a second witness saw them breaking in and leaving together, with smoke blowing out of the church hall behind them.

The court heard the descriptions of the boys seen by witnesses fitted the description of the teenager and his co-accused – a 14-year-old who had also denied arson.

The prosecution told the court that the 16-year-old had spent the afternoon with a female friend, who had seen him playing with a lighter and setting fire to a piece of grass.

The court was told that the three youngsters then went to the church hall grounds, before making their way to the back of the church car park, where the 16-year-old had climbed on top of a small building.

The three of them then visited Earlham Library, after which the two youths left to return to the church hall.

The 14-year-old admitted breaking into the church hall – and told the court that he was “shocked” and “surprised” when he saw that his companion had started a fire in a cupboard. He added that he had only intended to steal money – and had run off in a panic after seeing the fire.

The 16-year-old was not picked out by witnesses in an identity parade and insisted he had not been inside the church hall, but had only witnessed his friend go inside.

However, the prosecution told the court that both defendants had changed their stories “several times” over the course of two police interviews – and also in court, with the 14-year-old only admitting he was at the hall after glass from a broken window was discovered in his backpack and he was picked out by a witness in an identity parade.

Magistrate Vincent Marcantonio told the 14-year-old that the prosecution had proved a joint enterprise to cause damage and to enter the building – but not to enter with a prior plan to set it alight.

As a result, the court found the 14-year-old not guilty of arson.

The 16-year-old had been seen setting fire to some grass earlier in the day – and reliable witnesses had placed him at the scene exiting the building, Mr Marcantonio said.

He added that witness statements also corroborated the 14-year-old’s statements.

“In your case, we find the prosecution has not proven the joint intention to go in deliberately to set fire to the property as a joint enterprise – but we find the evidence of the prosecution has proven that you have caused the arson which destroyed the building,” he told the teenager.

The hearing was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

The 16-year-old due will be sentenced on 23 June at Norwich Youth Court.

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