Reece Galbraith, aged 33, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for the manslaughter of 7 year old Archie York. Archie died as he slept in his home following a massive explosion caused by Galbraith’s his illegal and highly dangerous production of cannabis ‘shatter’ in the flat below. The explosion was so great that the whole block of 12 flats has since been demolished. Galbraith’s partner in the enterprise Jason Laws was also killed. He and Galbraith had been producing and supplying cannabis for about a year prior to events in October 2024.
Prosecuted by David Brooke KC and Rachael Glover of the CPS, Galbraith had earlier admitted his guilt following initial denials prior to trial. The judge, Mr Justice Cotter said “It is right that I recognise the hard work and professionalism of the experts involved in the investigation, the police, CPS, experts and the legal team. This has been a very difficult and complex investigation given the extent of the damage and great care had to be taken to ensure that justice was done”.
Benwell explosion: Reece Galbraith jailed over blast deaths - BBC News