25 January 2024 , 09:39
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Two teen boys have pleaded guilty to arson after setting a grade II listed building alight and causing £15million worth of damage.
The teens, aged 17 and 16, were told they would have faced serious prison time if they were adults at North Tyneside's Youth Court on Wednesday. They were charged together with causing arson to Henderson Hall in Newcastle on June 8, 2023.
The court was told that the pair's inferno led to £15million-worth of damage to the property, which is owned by Newvastle University. Both males entered a guilty plea to a charge of arson. They were handed conditional bail and told to return to the Youth Court to be sentenced on February 21.
Chair of the Bench John Doyle told the younger defendant: "We're well aware of what's going on in this case, we have seen various videos. It's an extremely serious offence, I'm sure you understand that now.
"Had you been an adult, you would be looking at some serious prison, do you understand that? We're going to ask for reports before we sentence you."
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They were told that had they been adults, they would have been facing serious prison time (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)Chronicle Live previously reported how smoke was visible from the bottom of the Coast Road as more than 50 firefighters tackled a huge blaze at Henderson Hall in High Heaton on June 8 last year.
At the height of the incident, 10 appliances were on the scene, along with two aerial ladder platforms, and crews remained throughout the night to keep the fire under control. Thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky for miles around Tyneside.
The building, adjacent to Newcastle University's Cochrane Park sports complex, had been empty for several years but was formerly used as a student hall of residence. It suffered significant fire damage and most of the roof was destroyed. Nobody was injured in the blaze.