Drug dealer jailed after killing two including seven-year-old boy in cannabis lab explosion in Newcastle

A drug dealer who admitted to manslaughter after a house explosion, caused by gas canisters used to make cannabis sweets, has been jailed.

Reece Galbraith, 33, admitted to manslaughter over the deaths of Archie York, seven, and Jason “Jay” Laws, 35, after the blast in Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, on 16 October 2024.

The former construction worker, who was also badly injured in the explosion, has been sentenced to 14 years.

Six properties divided into two flats each were destroyed in the explosion, which led to a major emergency services response and made families homeless.

Archie was asleep when the blast ripped through the home he shared with parents Katherine and Robbie and his baby brother Finley.

Police investigating the explosion discovered that the flat operated by Galbraith and Laws was used as a “drugs lab” to produce cannabis concentrates, known as “shatter” or “butane honey oil”, in a highly dangerous process.

The product was then turned into cannabis edibles, also known as “gummies”.

Archie’s mother, Katherine Errington, shouted “you killed my son” at Galbraith as she read her victim impact statement in court.

She sobbed as she told the defendant: “You brought gas canisters into a building where families lived. You ran a drugs operation under the floor where my children slept.

“You took risks for profit and didn’t care who got hurt. You killed my son.”

She added her “entire world was shattered, literally and irreversibly” by the events of that day.

The court heard it destroyed six out of the 12 flats in the block and was followed by a “fierce fire” that caused so much damage the whole block has since been demolished.

More than 100 people were displaced to temporary accommodation and 53 of the 80 residents will not be returning, while the financial impact is said to be about £3.7m.

Prosecutor David Brooke KC said Laws had been using the flat for months and there was “little purpose” for it other than the production of cannabis.

The court heard Galbraith was found walking away from the street immediately after the explosion asking about his friend.

He suffered extensive burns and was in hospital for about a month, initially in an induced coma.

Mr Brooke said Galbraith had been at the flat since about 6pm the previous evening and his fingerprint was found on one of the butane bottles at the property.

A bag containing packages of cannabis sweets was found in Laws’ car which had both his and Galbraith’s DNA on some of the packets.

‘Process is inherently dangerous’

Experts found the explosion was caused by the ignition of liquid butane gas, which had been released and built up within the premises as part of the illegal “shatter” production.

Mr Brooke said more than 100 butane canisters were found in the flat as well as other “sophisticated and expensive” equipment.

The prosecutor said: “The process of making shatter is inherently dangerous because butane is highly flammable.

“It is dangerous even to store butane bottles inside let alone use the liquid gas in a process like this. The liquid gas will expand a nominal 230 times as it becomes gas.”

At the time of the explosion, Galbraith was already being investigated for being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Officers later found 250 cannabis sweets, moulds and 300g of a sweet mixture when they searched his house.

He was released pending further investigation.

Police also found evidence on his phone that he was dealing in cannabis and cannabis sweets with Laws from at least as far back as November 2023.

Jailing Galbraith, the judge, Mr Justice Cotter, said: “Archie York was just a seven-year-old with a wonderful and exciting life ahead of him.

“You bear responsibility for all this loss and destruction.”