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Family's despair at 'guilty' verdict
SHANE Spence's parents wailed with despair after a jury found him guilty of causing the deaths of his two younger sisters.
John Spence, 40, was convinced his son would be cleared of all charges after a three-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in February 2008.
But after 11 hours of deliberation, his life was thrown into turmoil again when the jury found his son guilty of arson and manslaughter.
The prosecution case was that Spence crept into the family home in the early hours of April 4, 2007, and doused the sofa in petrol and set fire to it.
This caused a fierce blaze which quickly spread to the whole house, killing Tatum Leah, 14, and Demi Jade, 12.
Spence, who had been watching the movie 28 Days Later at a friend's house on the night of the fire, admitted returning to the family home to pick up a CD, but denied starting the fire.
The prosecution case relied heavily on the timing of these events, and witness statements regarding Spence's state of mind and actions around the time of the tragedy.
Mrs Spence was able to jump to safety from a window, but Mr Spence was badly burned as he battled in vain to save his two daughters.
Prosecutors presented no forensic evidence to prove Spence was at the scene, and instead relied on witness testimonies.
Mr and Mrs Spence say they were distraught when members of Mrs Spence's family, including her brother Alan Fox – Spence's uncle – testified against Shane.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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