Cliff Notes
- A man, Lee Owens, 46, has been charged with two counts of murder and arson following the deaths of great-grandparents Eric Greener, 77, and Sheila Jackson, 83, in St Helens.
- The fire on South John Street, started with an accelerant, resulted in the couple being hospitalised; Mr Greener died on 16 July, followed by Ms Jackson the next day.
- Owens has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, while a 31-year-old man remains on conditional bail.
Man charged with murder after great-grandparents killed in St Helens house fire | UK News
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A man has been charged with murder after two great-grandparents died following an arson attack on their home in St Helens last week.
Eric Greener, 77, and Sheila Jackson, 83, died after the fire in Merseyside in the early hours of 15 July.
Police said Lee Owens, 46, of no fixed address, was charged with two counts of murder and arson with intent to endanger life on Friday.
He has been remanded in custody and is to appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Merseyside Police said a 31-year-old man from St Helens, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, remains on conditional bail.
The force also said an accelerant was used to start the fire on South John Street, where Mr Greener and Ms Shelia had lived for 15 years.
The pair were rescued from their home and taken to hospital after emergency services were called at 12.40am.
Mr Greener died on the evening of 16 July, while Ms Jackson died the next morning.
In a tribute released on Thursday, the victims’ family said they were “the life and soul of the party” and would “forever be devastatingly missed but eternally loved”.