Cannabis factory blast killer's sentence reviewed

Archie York was sleeping in his living room when the explosion happened

A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing a seven-year-old boy, is to have his 14-year jail sentence reviewed amid concerns it is too short.

Archie York died when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, destroyed several homes in Benwell, Newcastle, last October.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter which also killed 35-year-old Jason Laws.

The Attorney General's Office confirmed it had received a request to consider his jail term under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme (ULS) and said a decision on whether to send it to the Court of Appeal "will be made in due course".

Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed, according to the courts service, and they do not have to have been involved in a case.

Only certain types can be reviewed including murder, manslaughter, rape and serious drug offences.

Reece Galbraith admitted two counts of manslaughter

The explosion stemmed from a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Galbraith and Mr Laws.

The pair were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make the so-called cannabis shatter, the court heard.

Described as a "sophisticated" factory, it exploded at about 00:40 BST on 16 October.

Archie, who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, had been asleep in the family's living room.

His mother, Katherine Errington, and seven-week-old brother, Finlay, were buried beneath bricks and debris and were pulled to safety by Archie's father, Robbie York.

'You killed my son'

Ms Errington told the court her son's death had "broken us in ways I didn't know possible" and the family had "lost everything", adding she felt "survivor's guilt".

She angrily told Galbraith he "took risks for profit" before screaming at him: "You killed my son."

In a statement read to the court, Mr York said he felt "nothing but anger" towards Galbraith and Mr Laws, adding he had "no sympathy" for the latter's death.

Galbraith, of Rectory Road, was found in the wreckage covered in severe burns and spent a month in a coma in hospital.

As well as the manslaughter charges, he pleaded guilty to producing and selling cannabis.

The explosion severely damaged multiple homes

The block of properties was later demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and possessions.

Damage and costs to Newcastle City Council was valued at £3.7m, with 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused.