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

Two teenagers have been convicted after they stormed a restaurant, poured petrol on customers and set them alight.

The 17-year-olds, who can’t be named because of their age, left two people in a critical condition and multiple others with severe injuries.

They carried out their attack on August 22 last year at Indian Aroma, a restaurant in Gants Hill, east London.

The Old Bailey heard they were caught on CCTV at 7.07pm heading to Barkingside where they parked a stolen Toyota Prius.

One of them got out and walked to a petrol station to steal several litres of petrol in cannisters then they drove to the restaurant.

Armed with machetes, one of them taunted the customers while the other poured petrol on the floor, furniture and diners.

They then lit a taper which ignited a fireball that tore through the building.

The pair drove off while emergency crews arrived to tend to the injured people.

At the time a witness said he saw a man whose entire body was burned and skin was ‘peeling off’.

Detectives eventually tracked down the car they had used and their mobile phones, helping to identify them.

They faced a seven-week trial and were found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life and possession of an offensive weapon.

They have been remanded in custody until October 2 when they will be sentenced.

Detective Inspector Emma Sharp said: ‘This group tried outmanoeuvre the police and avoid the consequences of their premediated 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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