'Boy started fire which killed his grandmother'

A BOY of eight has admitted starting the fire that killed his grandmother.

The revelation halted the inquest into the death of schoolteacher Sheila Hill.

Coroner Alan Craze adjourned the hearing after being told by the victim's daughter of the events surrounding the fire which engulfed the family's home at the end of August last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Angela Hill said her eight-year-old son had admitted to her some months ago that he had started the fire.

When originally questioned by the police, the boy would not give any answers but she said he had since told her it was him.

"I haven't passed that information on to the police as yet and he hasn't said how or where it started," she said.

She was the first witness to speak at the inquest and had told the coroner that she and her son lived below her mother's flat at 50 Sackville Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She explained there were internal stairs leading to both flats with their own front doors but 50a (Angela's flat) also had outside steps at the back.

There was a smoke alarm fitted in her bedroom and one in the hallway but this was not working. She had taken it down because it was making a strange noise and taken it into the kitchen to try and establish the problem.

The upstairs flat where Mrs Hill and her husband Alan lived had a mains operated and battery back up smoke alarm.

No-one in the upstairs flat smoked but Angela was a smoker and sometimes burned joss sticks and candles but always made sure they were out before going to bed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The hallway was used to store a couple of tyreless car wheels, bikes and a surfboard but did not obstruct the stairs.

On the morning of August 27, 2004, she woke to smoke coming through the door.

Her son was already up and she quickly got dressed. Although there were no flames in the flat, she looked out of the back door and saw flames in the shop below.

She ran upstairs to alert her mother who then came down to the flat below. Mrs Hill told Angela to call the fire brigade and then "disappeared upstairs like a shot."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The intercom buzzer went and a man said there was a fire and we had to get out."

She said she then opened the front door of the flat where the internal stairs led to the flat upstairs and "a wave of heat hit me.

"It was very hot, intense heat which singed my eyebrows and eyelashes.

"I shouted to my mum 'you've got to get out, you've got to get out' but she said she couldn't get down."

It was at this point that the new information was revealed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coroner Mr Craze suggested a five-minute adjournment. He said he had been told that the boy was not of an age to be prosecuted but asked Miss Hill if she agreed it might be "better mentally and healthwise for him to get if off his chest to an experienced and kindly police officer."

Miss Hill said she was not sure he would speak to the police but thought a psychiatrist or trained counsellor would be better.

After a 15-minute interval, the coroner returned to adjourn the inquest to a date to be set.

"It was courageous of you to admit this now," he told Miss Hill.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I am quite certain it was the best thing to do but as indicated, I can not finish the inquest today."

He said whoever came to visit the family came on his behalf and would be completely impartial.

"At the end of the day it is more important to have it officially cleared up than have it hanging over anyone."

A post mortem had shown Sheila Hill, 54, died from inhalation of fire fumes.