Seanyboy verdict: mum storms out of court

THE house fire that killed an eight-month-old baby was sparked by a cigarette lighter. But who ignited it remains a mystery.

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded an open verdict at the inquest into the death of Seanyboy Maguire, who died on April 8, 2007, when a blaze engulfed his bedroom in Turner Street, Lees.

Mr Nelson told yesterday’s hearing at Oldham Magistrates’ Court: “I cannot be sure how the baby came by his death.”

Police had arrested Dean Maguire (17) — the cousin of the tot’s mum Emma Maguire — on suspicion of murder, but no charges were ever brought.

Dean claimed Seanyboy’s two-year-old brother Connor must have started the blaze by playing with a lighter.

Fire service investigators had concluded that the use of a lighter had ignited the flames.

Two cigarette lighters were recovered, one near where the blaze started and another on the landing, but there was no way of proving who used them or when.

Mr Nelson said: “There was no evidence to prove that anyone had intentionally committed an unlawful or dangerous act.”

Emma Maguire (25) stormed out of the inquest at the verdict and slammed the door.

Mr Nelson said he appreciated it was difficult for all those touched by Seanyboy to come to terms with his death.

Seanyboy, Connor, Emma and four teenagers were in the house when the fire broke out, but witnesses gave conflicting statements.

Dean took the oath yesterday to give evidence and to answer nearly 20 questions from Emma.

He insisted he had not used a lighter in the bedroom but that he had seen Connor going upstairs.

Dean said he saw the toddler coming downstairs just after the fire broke out. Connor had a lighter in his hand which he threw on the landing floor.

He had seen Connor playing with three lighters earlier and on several occasions had seen the two-year-old pick up cigarette ends, light them and pretend to smoke.

In police interviews he claimed the girls in the house had combined to concoct their stories to blame him as he was the last person in the children’s room.

Cousin Jessica Lawton (17) and friend Suzann Johnson (18) claimed Dean never came downstairs and that Connor, who they admitted had been playing with lighters, never went upstairs.

But two neighbours said that when they alerted the occupants of the house to the fire, Dean was downstairs with the two girls and they all fled through the front door.

Emma and cousin Amy Ashworth (16) escaped through a back bedroom window.

During a stormy inquest, key witnesses were told by the coroner that they faced jail if they did not attend or threatened other witnesses.

Firefighter Jonathon Stewart said such incidents were on the decline because of free home fire-risk assessments, which can provide smoke detectors, and firefighters giving children free fire-risk education.

There was no smoke detector in the Turner Street property.