A teenager said “people are going to get terrorised tonight” as he bought a Megaburst firework later pushed through the letterbox of a house, killing the elderly resident, a court has heard. Kai Cooper, 19, is on trial over the death of 88-year-old Josephine Smith, believed to have been asleep in bed when the powerful firework let off two successive explosions before setting fire to her home on October 28, 2021.
On Thursday, Heidi Stonecliffe KC told a jury at the Old Bailey Cooper was accompanied by a younger boy, now aged 17, when he visited a firework shop in Romford, east London, earlier that evening.
Cooper allegedly told the shopkeeper: “I want something that is going to go far and quick.”
He went on to allegedly remark: “I’m trying to get fireworks, let them off at people. People are going to get terrorised tonight.”
Having paid for the fireworks, Cooper then bought two lighters from a Co-op shop, jurors were told.
He and his younger friend then walked towards Mrs Smith’s house in Queens Park Road, where she lived alone, the court was told.
Mrs Smith “was entirely unknown” to the pair.
Ms Stonecliffe said: “It is a tragically random incident. That makes it no less serious or tragic.”
Before reaching Mrs Smith’s home, the two youths set off fireworks in the street, next to a restaurant and a pub, near cars, and even towards alarmed pedestrians, the court heard.
Ms Stonecliffe said: “It is the Crown’s contention that they acted as a team as they did this, with Kai handing (the 17-year-old) the fireworks before they were lit and Kai encouraging (the 17-year-old) to do this.
“It was, it is suggested, the precursor for the altogether more tragic events that occurred shortly afterwards.”
The 17-year-old took a Megaburst firework and ran across the road towards Mrs Smith’s house, where she was in bed and probably asleep. He then lit the firework and put it through the letterbox, jurors were told.
Ms Stonecliffe went on: “Two explosions occurred in swift succession, just like others that (the defendants) had set off in the street.
“They caused a fire to start, which burned through Mrs Smith’s house.
“By the time the fire service had arrived, the property had filled with smoke and Mrs Smith was found, already sadly deceased, in the upstairs bedroom of the house.
“Efforts made to revive her were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at 11.09pm.”
Cooper and the youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had left the scene hours earlier, the court was told.
The prosecutor said there is no dispute that Cooper and the other youth bought fireworks and lighters that evening, all of which were paid for by Cooper, or that one of them was put through Mrs Smith’s door.
The only issue for the jury to consider is whether Cooper was party to the offences by encouraging and assisting the younger defendant, Ms Stonecliffe said.
Cooper, from Leatherhead, Surrey, denies arson and manslaughter and the trial continues.
