A tenant who caused the death of his landlord after starting a fire in the flat where they lived has been convicted of manslaughter.
In a strange twist, 22 year old Stuart Willard had been hailed a hero six months before the fatal fire when he rescued two people, including landlord John Skilton, from the flames of another fire at the property in Tonbridge, Kent.
Suspicions were raised when police and firefighters were called to another blaze in January 2007.
On this occasion Willard escaped through a window but landlord Mr Skilton, aged 46, became trapped inside. He was eventually pulled out but had suffered severe burns and died later that day in hospital.
Willard was arrested and during his court hearing it emerged he had been responsible for several arson attacks in the area.
He was given an indefinite sentence for public protection and informed by the court that he is facing at least seven years in prison before being considered for parole.
• A landlord has been left counting the cost following the latest in a growing number of incidents where tenants have turned a rented property into a cannabis factory.
Joga Lohia and his son who owns the flat face a bill of thousands of pounds to repair damage to the property in Whetstone.
They say their tenants, who were found through the lettings agency Ace Estates UK, have disappeared after stealing various appliances. They also smashed up furniture and made holes in the ceiling for ventilation.
There was also an area of the flat filled with fertilizer and other paraphernalia associated with the growing of cannabis.
Mr Lohia started to get concerned when he could not get any answer from the flat despite several visits at different times of the day. He then found the locks had been changed and so contacted the lettings agency to check references himself. However, he alleges the agency refused to let him see them.
Eventually he was forced to break in which is when he discovered the damage and called in the police.
A police spokesman confirmed that this was one of four similar incidents in the area in recent years and that the ‘tenants’ were difficult to track down as they used false names and references to gain access to properties.
