This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/south_west/6034051.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Youth guilty of £8m school arson | Youth guilty of £8m school arson |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A 17-year-old youth has been found guilty of an arson attack that caused £8m damage to a Swansea school. | A 17-year-old youth has been found guilty of an arson attack that caused £8m damage to a Swansea school. |
| But a jury at Swansea Crown Court has cleared his 18-year-old co-defendant James Green of the charge. | |
| The trial heard the fire on 17 March this year destroyed 40 classrooms at Penyrheol Comprehensive in Gorseinon. | The trial heard the fire on 17 March this year destroyed 40 classrooms at Penyrheol Comprehensive in Gorseinon. |
| The 17-year-old, who will sentenced later this month, had admitted burglary at the school but had denied arson and claimed Mr Green started the fire. | The 17-year-old, who will sentenced later this month, had admitted burglary at the school but had denied arson and claimed Mr Green started the fire. |
| Mr Green was cleared of both burglary and arson and was immediately released from the dock by Judge John Diehl. | Mr Green was cleared of both burglary and arson and was immediately released from the dock by Judge John Diehl. |
| The 17-year-old, who cannot be named at this stage for legal reasons, will be sentenced after the preparation of reports into his background. | The 17-year-old, who cannot be named at this stage for legal reasons, will be sentenced after the preparation of reports into his background. |
| Judge Diehl said he was satisfied that another person was with the teenager when the fire started. | Judge Diehl said he was satisfied that another person was with the teenager when the fire started. |
| The court heard the blaze was thought to have started in the staffroom in a bag of paper meant for recycling. | |
| A man living near the school told the jury how he heard voices in the school grounds the night of the fire. | |
| Jonathan Williams said he was in his garden behind the school when he heard a fire extinguisher being set-off. | |
| He said two people ran past the front of his house and he heard one of them tell the other that he had heard the school's fire alarm go off. | |
| The 17-year-old had claimed he saw Mr Green set fire to the bag of paper in the school and said he immediately left, not discovering until later that night the damage the blaze had caused. | |
| Mr Green denied being with the 17-year-old inside the school and said it was untrue he had boasted to other teenagers about starting the fire. |