Youths locked up indefinitely for fire rampage that put lives at risk

A ban on naming 16-year-olds Michael Jefferis and Carl Phillips was lifted yesterday as the pair were told they could spend years in custody.

Over two nights in February the youths, who had been on a careers course for firefighting, torched three cars and started blazes at four occupied properties.

Among the people whose lives were put at risk were an 83-year-old widower, a wheelchair user and a three-month-old baby.

Ten adults and children had to flee the fires at properties in the Holme Wood area.

Judge Robert Bartfield commended the actions of police officers and neighbours who had rescued victims who feared for their lives including a mother and two children trapped by a blaze in a house in Heysham Drive, a pensioner, and a family-of-five, including a three-month-old baby, who were led to safety after the duo lit rubbish bags and an old cot at the back of their home.

At the time of the Heysham Drive attack, Jefferis, of Sandgate Walk, Holme Wood, was on police bail following a lunchtime fire at Tong High School where both he and Phillips were pupils. Two days later the pair attacked three more occupied homes in the dead of night.

Jefferis and Phillips, of Felcourt Drive, Holme Wood, both admitted offences of arson with intent to endanger life and arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered in respect of the four blazes at homes.

The pair also pleaded guilty to setting fire to three cars and Jefferis, who was only 15 at the time, admitted another arson being reckless charge in relation to the fire at his school which caused damage estimated at 5,000.

Judge Bartfield locked up the teenagers indefinitely after concluding they were both dangerous offenders.