Benwell explosion killer’s sentence not too lenient
June 23, 2025
Cannabis factory killer’s sentence not too lenient
Family handout/BBCA man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing a seven-year-old boy, will not have his sentence referred to the Court of Appeal over concerns it was too short.
Archie York died alongside 35-year-old Jason Laws when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, destroyed several homes in Benwell, Newcastle, in October.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) confirmed it had received a request to consider his jail term under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme but concluded the threshold was not met.
Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed, according to the courts service, but only certain types of cases can be, such as murder and manslaughter.
A spokesperson for the AGO said while “no sentence could undo Reece Galbraith’s appalling actions”, the Solicitor General could only refer sentences to the Court of Appeal “where a judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence which resulted in an outcome which isn’t just lenient but unduly so”.
“That threshold was not met in this case, despite the horrific consequences of Galbraith’s conduct,” they said.
Northumbria PoliceThe explosion stemmed from a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Galbraith and Mr Laws.
The pair were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make the so-called cannabis shatter, the court heard.
Described as a “sophisticated” factory, it exploded at about 00:40 BST on 16 October.
Archie, who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, had been asleep in the family’s living room.
His mother, Katherine Errington, and seven-week-old brother, Finlay, were buried beneath bricks and debris and were pulled to safety by Archie’s father, Robbie York.
PA MediaGalbraith, of Rectory Road, was found in the wreckage covered in severe burns and spent a month in a coma in hospital.
As well as the manslaughter charges, he pleaded guilty to producing and selling cannabis.
The block of properties was later demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and possessions.
Damage and costs to Newcastle City Council was valued at £3.7m, with 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused.
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