St Helens fire death couple 'unintended victims of drug row'

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An elderly couple lost their lives in a house fire that was the unintended consequence of an arson attack linked to a dispute over drugs, a court has been told. Sheila Jackson, aged 83, and Eric Greener, 77, died when their home on South John Street in St Helens was set ablaze in July of the previous year. During the ongoing trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Kevin Weetman, Kylie Maynard, and Lee Owens all deny charges of murder, although Owens has admitted to manslaughter in connection with the incident.

Prosecutor Nigel Power KC explained that the actual target of the fire was Sheila Jackson’s son, George Jackson, who sometimes resided at the same address. Evidence suggested that Weetman and Maynard attempted to recruit George Jackson as a drug dealer. When George refused, it is alleged that Weetman orchestrated the attack to avoid losing “face” within the drug community. The court heard that about a month before the fire, George had assisted Maynard after she was robbed of cocaine she was selling near a canal.

The prosecution outlined that following the robbery, George brought Maynard to his mother’s home, where she stayed for two days. As a gesture of thanks, Weetman allegedly gave George drugs worth several hundred pounds and then repeatedly pressured him to enter the drug dealing trade. When George declined these advances, Weetman reportedly responded angrily, saying “What about my dough?” to express his frustration.

Further details revealed that on the night of the fire, Paul Smith, who later died after the blaze, and Lee Owens traveled from Liverpool to St Helens to carry out the arson attack. Owens admitted manslaughter but maintains he intended only to cause damage to the property, not harm anyone physically. Meanwhile, both Weetman and Maynard deny any involvement in the fire or the deaths of Sheila Jackson and Eric Greener. The trial is set to continue for six weeks

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