Gants Hill restaurant arson - Two teenagers jailed

The 17-year-olds were armed with weapons resembling machetes when they stormed Indian Aroma in Woodford Avenue on August 22 last year, the Old Bailey heard.

They entered the eatery with another person and made their way to the back of the room before they emptied canisters of petrol on to the floors and tables.

One of them lit a piece of paper as they held the door “mostly shut”, causing an “explosion” inside the restaurant.

They were convicted of arson with intent to endanger life and having a bladed article following a six-week trial earlier this year.

On Friday (October 2), they were each given an extended sentence, consisting of 10 years in custody and a further three-year extended period.

The court heard the teenagers entered the restaurant with a third person while eight customers were eating.

The third person went to the back of the restaurant and poured petrol over the floor and tables. 

After the attack, the group left in a stolen car.

Six London Fire Brigade vehicles and crew attended the scene.

James Dawes KC, prosecuting, said: "The preparations for this attack were extensive and the execution of this attack was professional and clearly had been planned and rehearsed as each one of them had separate, well-defined roles."

He said the customers had been ordered to remain in their seats and threatened with long knives and swords.

Mr Dawes said: "The offenders took the decision to set light to the pool of petrol while the customers were still seated frozen in terror, guaranteeing burns would be caused to some or all of them."

He told the court the peace of the eight people dining at the restaurant had been shattered.

The judge said petrol had been spread around the chairs where customers were sitting. It had previously been claimed that petrol was poured directly over the back of one customer, but after reviewing CCTV, the judge said this was perhaps questionable.

One woman was placed in a medically induced coma after her clothes melted to her skin. She suffered burns to 50 per cent of her total body surface area, including full-thickness burns to 45 per cent.

Her husband was seen running from the restaurant while on fire. He suffered mixed-depth burns to 51 per cent of his total body surface area.

A statement from the man said: "I woke up 45 days after being burnt."

The prosecutor said the incident had been traumatic for the couple and had changed their personal lives.

Another victim said: "What I have now is a life that has been completely upended by 30 seconds of someone else’s violence."

She said she had previously been an independent woman with plans, prospects and hope. Another customer described the physical pain experienced during the attack.

Sentencing the teenagers, His Honour Judge Michael Grieve KC said the offence was a "sophisticated and professional operation" involving a "high degree" of planning.

He said: "You were both fully aware of the almost inevitable consequences, namely to cause serious harm, up to and including death, to complete strangers."

The judge also said the victims had suffered serious injuries.

He said they "have suffered agonising and life-changing injuries – and it could have been worse".

Judge Grieve said he believed the teenagers had been acting under the direction of an older criminal who had not been identified.

He said: "I have no doubt that you were carrying out this operation on the direction of some older and more experienced criminal who has not been identified" but you did so with cold blood.

The defendants had denied the offences. One had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to an additional charge of failing to disclose a PIN.

Mark Graffius KC, representing one teenager, asked the judge to consider that his client had been subject to ongoing exploitation up to the offence.

Nneka Akudolu KC, representing the other, said her client was sorry for the injuries suffered by the victims. She said he had been told the restaurant would be empty.

The third accomplice was not involved in the trial or Friday’s sentencing hearing.