Teen's mother and brother charged over fire death
Leah Casson, 18, died in a house fire in 2023
- Published
The mother and brother of a teenager who died in a house fire are among those charged with her manslaughter.
Leah Casson, 18, died in a fire at a property on Vicarage Street in North Shields on 16 January 2023.
Her mother Danielle Johnson, 43, and brother, Louis Casson, 19, both of North Tyneside, were charged with manslaughter and abstracting electricity, Northumbria Police said.
Craig Watson, 42, of no fixed abode, was also charged with manslaughter and two counts of abstracting electricity. Calvin Smith, 37, of North Tyneside, was charged with one count of abstracting electricity, police added.
All four people are due to appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on 17 December.
Det Ch Insp Mark Atherton said now charges had been brought, people should "refrain from speculation" both online and "in the community".
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