The explosion at 2.36 am on 16 May 2021 at Heysham, Lancashire, destroyed the defendant’s council property and damaged 55 others.

A man has been incarcerated for causing a gas explosion that resulted in the death of a two-year-old boy.

George Hinds died after his next-door neighbor, Darren Greenham, 45, severed the gas pipes at his council house in Heysham, Lancashire, to sell the copper piping for scrap, Preston Crown Court was told.

The court was informed that he utilized an angle grinder while under the influence of drink and drugs.

After pleading guilty in August, he was sentenced to 15 years in jail on Wednesday for manslaughter, destroying a gas meter, and theft of gas.

The explosion, which occurred at 2:36 a.m. on May 16, 2012, destroyed Greenham’s property and damaged 55 others.

Stephen Hinds, the father of Arthur, held a Paw Patrol toy in remembrance of his son as he saw the sentencing from the gallery.

George’s mother Vicki Studholme, who had previously referred to Greenham as the “neighbor from hell,” was standing next to him with a number of their neighbors.

Mr. Hinds stated, “By Darren Greenham severing a gas pipe to make a few pounds, I have lost my son, my entire life.”

Arthur’s mother remarked, “Being trapped in the rubble after the explosion was the most terrifying I have ever been.

“This remained the case until I got to the hospital and was informed George had passed away.

Never before in my life had I felt so terrified as I did at that moment.

The victim’s family is still in the caravan following the blast.

Since the explosion, the family has been living in a caravan, and Judge Robert Altham lauded them for their decency.

He stated, in conclusion, that Mr. Greenham was a selfish and disruptive neighbor.

“He had no consideration for the comfort of anyone unfortunate enough to live next to him”

According to the prosecutors, Greenham was facing eviction procedures and hoped to profit from the pipes he cut.

The court was informed that he was an alcoholic and drug addict who constantly played loud music and taunted all three family members.

After sustaining a severe head injury in the explosion, he lost the majority of his right hand’s functionality.

His one-month penalties for gas theft and gas meter vandalism will run concurrently.