Two men laughed in court as they were cleared of murdering two pensioners in an arson attack at their home in St Helens. Eric Greener, 77, and Sheila Jackson, 83, died in the blaze at their property on South John Street on July 15 last year.
At Liverpool Crown Court, drug dealer Kevin Weetman, 34, Kylie Maynard, 37, and Lee Owens, 46, were cleared of two counts of murder. Weetman and Maynard were found guilty of manslaughter, while Owens had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter before the trial. He claimed he thought the house was empty and did not intend to injure or kill.
After the jury returned its verdict following nearly 12 hours of deliberations, Weetman and Owens were seen smiling and laughing with one another. Maynard showed no reaction. They will be sentenced on Thursday.
Sheila's son George Jackson, who also lived at the address, was said to have been the intended victim in a row over drugs. The court heard that Weetman and Maynard had attempted to trick George into dealing drugs, and after he refused, Weetman set in motion a plan to kill or cause serious harm by setting fire to the house.
Nigel Power KC told the jury that Paul Smith and Lee Owens set fire to the house, but Smith died shortly after the fire. Owens maintained he only intended damage to the building, while Weetman and Maynard denied any involvement in the fire.
