Teenager who set girlfriend on fire found guilty of 'barbaric and evil' murder
Killing of Jessica McCagh, 17, will 'deeply disturb' all right-thinking people, says judge
A teenager who doused his girlfriend in petrol and set her on fire was found guilty of her "barbaric and evil" murder today.
Jessica McCagh, 17, became engulfed in a ball of flames when Stewart Blackburn set her alight in the bedroom of his flat in Arbroath, Angus, in April this year.
A jury took less than two hours to find Blackburn, 18, guilty of murder after a 10-day trial at the high court in Livingston, West Lothian. Judge Lord Bracadale said Jessica suffered a "terrible death" at her boyfriend's hands. He said the crime would "deeply disturb" all right-thinking people.
He told Blackburn: "The jury have found you guilty of the murder of Jessica McCagh by throwing petrol over her and setting her alight.
"She was your girlfriend, aged 17 years, and she died a terrible death at your hands. Her family are left bereft. These acts demonstrate a degree of wickedness on your part which will leave all right-thinking people deeply disturbed."
Solicitor general Frank Mulholland QC, prosecuting, yesterday told jurors: "It is difficult to envisage more cruel or sadistic treatment of another human being."
He said Blackburn had committed "a barbaric and evil act against a defenceless young woman".
Friends risked their lives trying to save teenager crushed in cave, inquest told
Inquest hears how boy, 16, was crushed to death when cave roof collapsed after he fell asleep near a camp fire during a party
Aiden Brookes' friends risked their lives to heave a slab of sandstone off him and drag him out, but they could not save him. He died from multiple injuries suffered in the Hermitage caves in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, early on 6 April following the collapse, which is thought to have been triggered by the heat of the camp fire.
A geologist said that a pre-existing weakness in the "shoulder" of the 1,000-year-old cave had combined with the heat of the fire to cause around 200kg of rock to sheer away.
Zakk Griffiths and Philip West have been nominated for Royal Humane Society awards for their efforts to help their friend.
Griffiths told the inquest in Bridgnorth how they went into the cave following the collapse. After helping to remove the slab, they lifted the teenager out of the cave and tried to resuscitate him while paramedics hurried to the scene.
Nineteen-year-old Jessica Wright said she had also been struck by the rockfall, which happened at about 2.20am.
She said: "At the point where the cave collapsed, Aiden was lying in front of the fire. He was smiling and asleep. I got up to change the music over when I heard this deafening rumble and I just remember falling face forward."
A verdict of accidental death was recorded by the South Shropshire coroner, Anthony Sibcy.
Teenager charged with murder
A teenager has been charged with the murder of a mother-of-two who was found dying in a west London street with one of her hands cut off.
Geeta Aulakh, 28, was found fatally injured by a passerby in Greenford on Monday evening, a week ago. A postmortem examination gave the cause of her death as severe head injury.
Sher Singh, 18, of Southall, was charged with her murder yesterday and will appear at Ealing magistrates court today. Eleven other men, including Aulakh's husband Harpreet, were released on bail.
Meanwhile two men have been charged with the murder of a teenager who was stabbed and run over by a car.
Michael McCarthy, 19, was attacked on Thursday evening in Stoke Newington, north London. Mustafa Demirtas and Julian Edwards, both 20 and from north London, have been charged with his murder and are due to appear at Thames magistrates court today.
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