Teenagers guilty of pouring petrol on restaurant diners and setting them on fire

Two teenagers have been found guilty of arson after they burst into a restaurant and poured petrol on diners before setting the eatery on fire.

The pair, both 17, were convicted of arson with intent to endanger life almost a year after they attacked Indian Aroma in Ilford with machetes.

The teenagers stormed the bustling venue on August 22 last year while it was filled with customers and staff.

The jury heard that one teenager taunted innocent customers with a large machete while his accomplice, also armed, poured petrol over the floor, furniture and diners.

Once the surfaces were doused, the teenagers lit the taper, which ingnited a fireball that ripped through the establishment.

One witness at the time saw a man whose whole body was burnt and skin was ‘peeling off’.

Two people were left with critical burn injuries and multiple suffered severe injuries.

The 17-year-old defendants fled the scene before getting away in a nearby Toyota Prius.

The car had driven two and from Peckham on the evening of the attack and one of the teenagers had stolen several liters of petrol from a petrol station in Barkingside.

Detectives eventually located the Prius, which had been stolen before the attack, as well as their mobile phones, which helped officers identify the suspects.

The teenagers were found guilty today at the end of a seven-week trial at the Old Bailey.

The motive for their attack in Gants Hill, Ilford, is unclear. The pair were also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon.

They were remanded and will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 2 October.

Detective Inspector Emma Sharp, who led the Met Police’s investigation, said: ‘This group tried outmanoeuvre the police and avoid the consequences of their pre-mediated violence, but today’s outcome showcases that our detectives can unravel multifaceted incidents to secure justice and take dangerous offenders off our streets.

‘The August attack impacted dozens of innocent people, and I’d like to thank the victims and witnesses for their steadfast resilience since the incident, and throughout the trial.’

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