A seven-year-old boy died in a house explosion caused by criminals using 100 gas canisters to make cannabis gummy sweets in the flat below.
Archie York was killed in the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, while operating a “drug lab” to produce cannabis concentrates, known as “shatter” or “butane honey oil”, in a highly dangerous process.
Galbraith, from Gateshead, admitted the manslaughter of York and Galbraith’s friend Jason “Jay” Laws, 35, who also died in the blast at Benwell, Newcastle, in the early hours of October 16.
The explosion wrecked the street and made families homeless.
Galbraith reversed his previous plea of not guilty at Newcastle crown court on Thursday. He also pleaded guilty to charges of possessing and supplying cannabis.
Laws was also operating the drug lab. The product was turned into cannabis edibles, known as “gummies”.
Galbraith will be sentenced on May 14 after a report has been prepared. Judge Paul Sloan, who remanded him in custody, told him: “As you will be aware you face a significant, immediate custodial sentence.”
Reece Galbraith is still undergoing treatment for his injuries
NORTHUMBRIA POLICE/PA
Galbraith was badly injured in the blast and his solicitor said at a previous hearing that he was lucky to survive.
Archie was in bed asleep when the blast ripped through the home where he lived with his parents, Katherine Errington and Robbie York, and his baby brother, Finley.
This week Errington told the Newcastle Chronicle: “As a parent and as a mother you try your best to keep your children safe, and that was took out of my hands. When they are in the house, that’s supposed to be the safest place.”
At a previous hearing at Newcastle magistrates’ court, the prosecution said police stopped Galbraith’s car in April last year and found drugs. His home was searched and moulds to make cannabis sweets were discovered. He was released pending further investigation.
Analysis of his mobile phone showed 80 text messages relating to the sale of cannabis sweets.
Claire Armstrong, representing the prosecution during the magistrates’ court hearing, said the explosion on October 16 was caused by butane gas that was in the property to process drugs. “Following the explosion, 100 butane canisters were found,” she said.
She said Galbraith’s fingerprints were present on items recovered from the destroyed flat, which the prosecution described as a “drug lab”.
Michael Gibson, for the defence at the magistrates’ court hearing, said Galbraith had been in regular work in construction until the age of 31.
“He was lucky not to be killed in the explosion,” Gibson said. “He was placed in an induced coma for a week and in hospital for a month receiving treatment. That treatment is ongoing. He doesn’t have full use of his arms due to burns.”
After Thursday’s hearing Detective Chief Inspector Katie Smith, of Northumbria police, said: “The process of creating ‘cannabis shatter’ and other drugs in this way is exceptionally dangerous.
“The truly devastating impact of this case should be enough to make anyone doing this think again.”
