Mystery deepens over fire tragedy
Reporter: Richard Hooton
Date published: 27 August 2008
A MURDER suspect arrested after an eight-month-old tot died in a house fire claims a two-year-old boy must have started the blaze by playing with a lighter.
Little Seanyboy Maguire died on Easter Sunday, 2007, when an inferno engulfed his bedroom in Turner Street, Lees.
His cousin Dean Maguire (now 17) was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire. But he denied it in police interviews, read out during Seanyboy’s inquest at Oldham Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The mystery over how the blaze started on April 8, last year, deepened as witnesses gave conflicting statements in a stormy hearing. The inquest had been adjourned in March when three witnesses — Dean, Suzanne Johnson and Tracey Guilford — didn’t show. They were threatened with jail if they failed to turn up again.
After hearing yesterday that witnesses had been threatened during a break, coroner Simon Nelson warned those in attendance he would not hesitate to find someone in contempt of court — which can result in a 28-day prison sentence — if it happened again.
Seanyboy, his two-year-old brother Connor, mum Emma Maguire (25), and four teenagers were in the house on the day of the fire, the inquest heard.
Seanyboy was asleep in a cot in one bedroom, Emma and cousin Amy Ashworth were talking in another, while Dean, Suzanne and Jessica Lawton did cleaning chores. Connor played downstairs.
In interviews, Dean said he tidied Seanyboy’s room before going downstairs, where he passed Connor who was heading upstairs.
Dean had earlier seen Connor playing with three lighters and on several occasions he had seen the two-year-old pick up cigarette butts, light them and pretend to smoke.
He claimed he was downstairs with Suzanne and Jessica when neighbours banged on a window to alert them to the fire.
“I didn’t start that fire,” he said.
“I ran straight upstairs and saw Connor coming downstairs. The bedroom door was closed and smoke was coming from under it.”
Dean tried to get in the room but was beaten back by the heat and panicked — rushing out of the house with Connor.
The girls later got together to concoct their stories to blame him as he had been the last one in the baby’s room, he claimed.
Dean said he had received death threats and been assaulted but the only person who could have started the fire was Connor. Suzanne and Jessica claimed Dean didn’t came downstairs and Connor never went upstairs. They also claim to have locked the front door. However, they did admit that Connor had been playing with lighters. Jessica later found one in his pocket.
Two neighbours, Ian Woolley and Andrea Harris, said when they alerted the house to the fire, Dean was downstairs with the two girls. They also said they were able to get inside as the door was open. Dean then grabbed Connor and ran outside.
The inquest heard harrowing details of several brave attempts to rescue Seanyboy but the heat and smoke were too intense.
Amy and Emma escaped out of a back bedroom window.
The inquest concludes today.
