Teen fire death case against mum and brother ends
Family HandoutManslaughter charges against the mother and brother of a teenager who died in a house fire will not be pursued after prosecution experts changed their minds.
Danielle Johnson, 44, and Louis Casson, 20, had been due to stand trial accused of killing Leah Casson, 18, who died at the family's home on Vicarage Street in North Shields on 16 January 2023.
Ahead of the trial starting at Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutors said the manslaughter charge against them and a third man, Calvin Smith, 38, would be discontinued, with not guilty verdicts recorded.
Johnson and Smith admitted abstracting electricity. Johnson was given a two-year conditional discharge, while Smith will be sentenced at a later date.
A fourth defendant, 42-year-old Craig Watson, previously died in custody.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the court experts in toxicology, pathology, electrical installation, fires and forensic science had provided reports for the prosecution months ago.
But, following several delays, defence experts filed their own reports which contradicted the prosecution's case, the court heard.
The prosecution experts looked again at the evidence and changed their opinions, Wright said.
The "fundamental problem" was now whether prosecutors could "realistically establish" the cause of the fatal fire was with the electrical meter, which had been bypassed by Smith and Watson, the court heard.
The experts had now ruled out an "arc flash" as the cause of the blaze, Wright said, which "undermined" the prosecution's case.
He apologised for the decision being made just as the trial, which was expected to last four weeks, was due to begin, adding had the experts offered those opinions at the outset, no manslaughter charges would ever have been brought.
Formal not guilty verdicts were recorded against all three defendants, with Louis Casson cleared of any wrongdoing.
Johnson and Smith both admitted abstracting electricity between 10 August and 22 November 2022.
Mr Justice Cotter said Johnson's admission was on the basis she became aware the meter had been bypassed by Smith and Watson in November 2022 and demanded it be properly reconnected, which was done within hours.
The judge said the background was "tragic" with Johnson having lost her daughter, so it was "neither necessary or appropriate for there to be immediate punishment".
Smith is due to be sentenced on 22 October once a pre-sentence report is completed by the probation service.
