17-year-old Otitodilichukwu sentenced to British prison for manslaughter

A 17-year-old Nigerian, Nathan Otitodilichukwu, has been sentenced to six years in a British prison for the manslaughter of a 76-year-old pensioner who died after a firework attack at his home in east London.

Otitodilichukwu and an unnamed teenage accomplice were convicted at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Robert Price, a retired man whose home was targeted on July 27, 2024.

According to the UK Metropolitan Police, the teenagers had initially approached Price’s home in Dagenham with a firecracker but fled when the elderly man confronted them. They later returned, and Otitodilichukwu was seen on CCTV climbing onto a gas meter to hurl a lit firework through a window.

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“There was a loud bang, followed by the laughter of the defendants as they ran from the scene,” the police said in a statement.

Emergency services arrived shortly after but found Price dead at the scene. A post-mortem confirmed that he died from smoke inhalation and burns.

Detectives arrested Otitodilichukwu within 48 hours, seizing clothes that matched surveillance footage. His arrest led to the identification and arrest of the second boy, who received a sentence of two years and eight months.

“This is a deeply tragic case, which saw a man lose his life in his own home after a completely mindless and reckless act had devastating consequences. The young defendants will now have to face the consequences of their actions by spending time in prison.

Clarke said he hoped the sentencing would bring some solace to the victim’s family, noting that the guilty pleas spared them the trauma of a full trial.

“I hope Robert’s family can take some solace in this outcome, and I am pleased the defendants spared them the ordeal of a trial,” Clarke stated.

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