Two adolescents have been sentenced for a firework incident that resulted in the death of a widower in his terraced residence in East London.

Prior to the incident, it was reported at the Old Bailey that 76-year-old Robert Price had been subjected to a lengthy campaign of harassment and vandalism.

Nathan Otitodilchukwu, 18, along with a 16-year-old whose identity remains protected due to his age, allegedly threatened to “set aflame” the elderly man before breaking a window and inserting a firework into his home on Oval Road North, Dagenham, last July.

Both individuals pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were sentenced on Monday by Judge Rebecca Trowler KC.

Otitodilchukwu received a six-year prison term, while the younger defendant was sentenced to two years and eight months in custody.

Judge Trowler remarked to the minor, “Mr. Price lost his life in the context of a premeditated attack, where I believe you aimed to inflict harm; regardless, your actions were extremely reckless with respect to the risk of injury.”

She highlighted that the older defendant exhibited “poor impulse control” and a “lack of understanding of how his actions affect others.”

However, she noted it was a “calculated effort to commit this crime and cause harm that stopped just short of serious injury.”

The judge acknowledged that the younger offender may have been “influenced” by the older teen, who had a history of criminal activity.

She also recognized that he had shown “remorse” and understood the “seriousness” of what he had done.

Previously, prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC detailed how Mr. Price’s house filled with heavy black smoke on July 27, 2024, before firefighters could rescue him.

“Robert Price’s life was taken in a fire ignited by the two defendants, who broke a window of his home and launched a firework inside,” she explained to the court.

John Shoesmith, who had been a friend of Mr. Price for a decade, remarked that the pensioner rarely left his home because “children would disturb him,” Ms. Farrelly noted.

Mr. Shoesmith described Mr. Price as socially awkward, adding that his limited social skills and hearing impairment made it challenging for some individuals to interact with him.

The harassment he endured included various instances of criminal vandalism to his residence, the court heard.

According to Mr. Shoesmith, local youths frequently broke Mr. Price’s windows, compelling him to board them up completely to prevent further damage.

As Mr. Shoesmith stated, this harassment was a continuous ordeal that made his life a living hell, Ms. Farrelly recounted.

CCTV footage captured the hours leading up to the fire, showing Otitodilchukwu, who was in care, meeting with the 16-year-old. They even filmed themselves launching a firework into a lake, the court was informed.

Around 5:30 PM BST, the two approached Mr. Price’s residence, with the younger boy allegedly carrying a firework, Ms. Farrelly added.

Footage from the doorbell showed Mr. Price slightly opening the door and speaking, after which the teenager could be seen fleeing while shouting, “he saw me fam,” just before the two returned to execute the attack.

A loud explosion was heard, followed by high-pitched laughter as the group fled, the prosecutor recounted.

Shortly thereafter, smoke was seen billowing from Mr. Price’s window, which was soon engulfed by flames and heavy smoke, the court learned.

A neighbor who witnessed the fire knocked on the door and briefly spoke to Mr. Price, but his “responses became increasingly unclear,” the court was told.

The neighbor attempted to help Mr. Price escape, but the door was secured, Ms. Farrelly explained.

Firefighters eventually managed to access the building and extinguish the blaze, but sadly, Mr. Price could not be revived.

That evening, upon returning to his care home, Otitodilchukwu confided to a support worker, “I’m going to do 20 years in jail” and urged them, “Don’t look for news about what happened in Dagenham,” the court reported.

A little later, he mentioned to the worker, “I was out drinking with friends on Saturday, and we were shooting fireworks.”

Days afterward, he inquired of a woman if she had heard about the fire, followed by a warning: “If anyone asks, don’t mention I was in Dagenham,” he told her.

When questioned why, he admitted, “Maybe I started the fire with a firework.”

He later said he had been intoxicated with two friends, that he had pushed a firework through a letterbox, and that he found the incident amusing.

Otitodilchukwu was arrested on the same day, and the 16-year-old was taken into custody the following month.

In a victim impact statement presented in court, Mr. Price’s family described him as a “kind” and “generous” individual, expressing the “suffering” he must have endured.