Teen guilty of manslaughter after firework kills pensioner in her bed

A teen who dared his friend to post a firework through the letterbox of a house in east London, killing the pensioner who lived there has been found guilty of manslaughter and arson.

It's believed Josephine Smith was asleep in bed when it exploded setting her home on fire in October 2021

The court heard Kai Cooper didn't know the 88 year old and the prosecution described it as a tragically random incident

The 19 year old from leatherhead in Surrey has been remanded into custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

Josephine’s son, Alan Smith, said:

“Losing Mum in such a horrible way has haunted our entire family. Mum was so loved by all of us and had many more happy years ahead of her.

“To see justice done today may hopefully help us to begin to move forward very slowly.

Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “This was a heart-breaking case concerning the needless death of an innocent lady, Josephine Smith, in her own home.

“The cause of the fire was investigated and was found to have been started by the firework that was lit and posted through the letterbox by a 15-year-old boy.

“The thoughtlessness of the actions which unfolded that night are incomprehensible, and tragically resulted in the most devastating consequences. Mrs Smith’s family continue to struggle to come to terms with their loss and our thoughts remain with them, especially today.”

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