Fire death couple 'unintended victims of drug row'

An elderly couple who died in a house fire were the unintended victims of an arson attack over a drugs dispute, a court has heard.

Sheila Jackson, 83, and Eric Greener, 77, died when their house in South John Street, St Helens, was set alight in July last year.

Kevin Weetman, Kylie Maynard and Lee Owens all deny murder, while Owens has admitted the manslaughter of the couple.

The jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard all parties in the case accept that another man, Paul Smith, who died shortly after the blaze, was involved in starting the fire.

Nigel Power KC, prosecuting, told the jury that the intended victim of the fire was Sheila Jackson's son George Jackson, who sometimes lived at the house in South John Street.

It was alleged that Weetman and Maynard had tried to trick George Jackson into working for Weetman as a drug dealer, and that when he declined, Weetman allegedly arranged the attack because of a loss of "face".

A month before the fire, George Jackson had helped Maynard after she was robbed of drugs. Maynard was selling cocaine from a tent near a local canal and George Jackson had bought drugs from her.

But on 6 June last year George Jackson found Maynard in a distressed state because "three lads" had stolen drugs from her.

George Jackson took her to his mother's house to get something to eat and wash her clothes, and she stayed there for two days and one night.

Prosecutor Power said Weetman gave George Jackson some drugs worth several hundred pounds as a "reward" for looking after Maynard. When George Jackson picked up the drugs he was asked if he wanted to deal drugs, but he declined, Power said.

A few days after he received the drugs, George Jackson received a phone call again asking if he wanted work drug dealing, Power said.

He added that when he said no again, a man the prosecution says was Weetman said "What about my dough?"

Power said Weetman "resolved to take action to prevent a loss of 'face'".

He added: "'Face' is all important in the drug world. And [he] set in motion a plan to kill or at least cause really seriously harm to George Jackson by setting fire to his house in the middle of the night."

George Jackson was out when the fire was set, on 15 July, but his mother and her partner died in the blaze.

It was alleged that Smith and Owens travelled from Liverpool to St Helens on the night of the fire to carry out the attack.

Owens has admitted the manslaughter of the couple.

The court heard that he only intended that damage to the building should come from the fire.

Weetman and Maynard deny having anything to do with the fire or the deaths.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

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