Two teenagers have been convicted after they entered Indian Aroma restaurant in Gants Hill, East London, to pour petrol over customers and set them on fire, leaving two people in critical condition
Two teenagers have been found guilty after they burst into a restaurant to douse customers with petrol and set them in fire. Two individuals were left fighting for their lives following the assault, which occurred on August 22 last year at Indian Aroma, a restaurant in Gants Hill in East London.
Both 17-year-old attackers cannot be identified due to their age. They were captured on CCTV at 7:07pm making their way to Barkingside, where they left a stolen Toyota Prius.
The footage reveals one of the youths exiting the vehicle and snatching several litres of petrol in containers. They subsequently drove to the eatery carrying machetes.
One teenager, wielding a large machete, tormented innocent diners as his partner, also brandishing a machete, stood poised with a lighter while petrol was splashed across the floor, furnishings and patrons in the restaurant, reports the Express.
After surfaces were saturated, the teenager ignited the taper which sparked a fireball that rapidly tore through the premises. Two individuals were left with life-threatening burn wounds and numerous others sustained serious injuries. Before emergency services reached the location, the two youths sped away.
Straight after the assault, investigators started gathering footage which showed the suspects escaping the scene, before jumping into a nearby Toyota Prius.
After tracking the vehicle through countless hours of CCTV footage, traffic cameras – and drawing upon data from ANPR records – detectives compiled a chronological sequence of events, which revealed the car journeying to and from Peckham that evening.
Having departed south London at 7:07pm, the vehicle proceeded to Barkingside, where CCTV captured it parking close to a supermarket. One of the defendants exited the vehicle and walked to a petrol station where he stole several litres of petrol by decanting it into containers.
They were apprehended two weeks following the attack. The jury was told that the pair formed part of a group that set out to inflict serious harm in Gants Hill, Ilford in August last year. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
Following the hearing, Det Insp Emma Sharp, who spearheaded the investigation, said that the attack “impacted dozens of innocent people”.
Both teenagers endured a seven-week trial. They were convicted of arson with intent to endanger life and possession of an offensive weapon. They have been remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced on October 2.
Detective Inspector Emma Sharp said: “This group tried to outmanoeuvre the police and avoid the consequences of their premeditated 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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