Benwell explosion: Three held on suspicion of manslaughter and cannabis production over fatal Newcastle blast
by Sophie Doughty · ChronicleLiveThree men are today being questioned on suspicion of manslaughter after the tragic explosion in Benwell which claimed two lives.
Seven-year-old Archie York and Jason Laws, 35, were killed in the blast, which ripped through homes on Violet Close, in Benwell, Newcastle, three weeks ago.
Now Northumbria Police has arrested three suspects over the incident. The men, two in their 30s and one in his 50s, are today being questioned on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter, and production of cannabis.
Det Chief Insp Katie Smith, who is leading the investigation for Northumbria Police, said: “This has been a truly tragic incident which resulted in the loss of two lives. As a result of our ongoing enquiries, three men have today been arrested in connection with the explosion.
“Our investigation will remain ongoing as we seek to provide answers to what has happened. We would continue to ask people to avoid speculation surrounding this incident both online and in the community.
“Anyone with any information which could assist our enquiries should contact us as soon as possible if they have not already done so.
“We would also like to thank people for their continued support and cooperation.”
A Newcastle City Council spokesman added: “We acknowledge that the police have confirmed they have arrested three individuals in connection with the explosion at Violet Close. This has been a hugely traumatic experience for a significant number of people, and residents are continuing to mourn the loss of loved ones.
“We will continue to provide any support necessary to all affected residents and give our full assistance to the ongoing investigations. As this is an ongoing police matter, and Northumbria Police retain control of the scene, we are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”
Anyone with information should call Northumbria Police quoting log number NP-20241016-0028.
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community