logo
Police name girl, 4, killed in Northumberland house fire

Police name girl, 4, killed in Northumberland house fire

BBC News20-03-2025
A four-year-old girl killed in a house fire earlier this week has been named as Kiana-Lee Wallace.Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service was called to an address in Kingsley Road, in Lynemouth, Northumberland, shortly before 21:30 GMT on Monday where Kiana-Lee, known as Kiki, was found inside.Despite efforts by emergency service workers, she died at the scene.In a tribute, Kiana-Lee's family said they are "absolutely broken" and that she remained "the biggest smiling star in our lives".
A woman in her 20s and a two-year-old girl who were also in the house at the time, both received medical treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital.The woman remains in hospital, while the young girl has been discharged.
"We are absolutely broken as a family to have lost our beloved Kiki in this way," the family said, in a statement.Det Ch Insp Louise Jenkins, senior investigating officer, said the investigation on site continues and the police were "committed to establishing exactly what happened". "We are still keen to hear from anyone who has information which may help our enquiries," she said.
Neighbour Karen Coulson, 58, described the young girl's death as "absolutely devastating", adding local residents had tried to help but were forced back by the heat."It's devastating we couldn't get in to help her. It's awful," Ms Coulson told BBC Look North."The full neighbours were out trying [to help]. We had neighbours up the top coming down and banging on other people's doors to try and get them out."It was just horrific."
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cramlington motorcyclist who died in Matfen crash named
Cramlington motorcyclist who died in Matfen crash named

BBC News

time2 days ago

  • BBC News

Cramlington motorcyclist who died in Matfen crash named

A motorcyclist who was travelling in a group when he was killed in a crash with a car has been named as Carl collision involving a Range Rover happened on the B6318 Military Road near Matfen, Northumberland, on the afternoon of Sunday 13 Wrightson's family said the 51-year-old, from Cramlington, was a "devoted husband, father, step-father and pops".A man in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was released on police bail pending a further investigation, Northumbria Police said. Mr Wrightson died at the scene, the force renewed their plea for witnesses to the crash to come said the car had been travelling westbound when it turned at the junction and hit a motorcyclist travelling in a group, heading in the direction of Harlow Con Greg Huntley said: "Any information - no matter how small or insignificant it may seem - could prove crucial." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

Off-duty bouncer 'not the same' after assault by men barred from Arklow hotel, court hears
Off-duty bouncer 'not the same' after assault by men barred from Arklow hotel, court hears

BreakingNews.ie

time2 days ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Off-duty bouncer 'not the same' after assault by men barred from Arklow hotel, court hears

An off-duty bouncer who was violently attacked by two men whom he had previously barred from a hotel in Arklow is 'no longer the same man' after being forced into early retirement due to the severity of his injuries. A Polish national who attacked the victim near his workplace while he was off-duty on Christmas Eve five years ago was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack. Advertisement A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim had suffered serious facial injuries after being struck in the head with a bottle on Main Street, Arklow, on December 24th, 2019. Mateusz Gorecki (31), of Ferrybank, Arklow, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Paul Lee, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The unemployed male, who has been living in Ireland for 14 years, also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury on the same date. Garda Emmet Furlong gave evidence that the injured man was sitting in his car outside the Royal Hotel on Main Street, Arklow, at around 10pm on Christmas Eve five years ago to collect his partner from work. Advertisement Garda Furlong said Mr Lee saw Gorecki and another male, with whom he had interactions in the past in his role as a bouncer at the hotel. The witness said the two men had been barred from the premises by Mr Lee as a result of a previous incident. He told the court that Mr Lee felt the two men, one of whom seemed to have a bottle in his hand, were glaring at him before they walked up and down past his vehicle on the other side of the road. Garda Furlong told prosecution counsel, James Kelly, BL, that the bouncer got out of his car to go to speak to the pair. Advertisement Video footage of the incident was played in court, which showed that Gorecki attempted to hit Mr Lee before throwing a bottle at his head. The accused's companion had punched and kicked the victim between the two actions by Gorecki. The court heard that Mr Lee was referred to three different hospitals over the Christmas holiday period for treatment for his injuries. Garda Furlong said the victim suffered fractures to his skull, eye socket and cheekbone and required surgery to implant three plates in his face. He told Mr Kelly that Gorecki was 'nonplussed' by what happened when arrested and claimed he had not thrown a bottle. Advertisement The witness said the accused was still of the view that the bottle had not hit Mr Lee, despite the video evidence. The court heard that Gorecki had no previous convictions at the time of the assault on the bouncer but had subsequently been convicted of two public order offences for being intoxicated in a public place. Asked under cross-examination by defence counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, who was the principal protagonist in the assault, Garda Furlong said Gorecki caused the most damage, but his accomplice, who received an 18-month prison sentence for his role, was 'more of a leader.' The court heard Gorecki had been drinking at a party in his sister's house in Arklow earlier on Christmas Eve. Advertisement In a victim impact statement, which was read on his behalf by his son, Mr Lee (54) said he had been a proud, hard-working man before the attack but had been forced into early retirement by an act of unprovoked violence. He told the court that the assault had not just caused him the normal physical agony but had devastated his life entirely. Mr Lee said the psychological effects were 'insidious and even more profound' and he had suffered chronic and persistent damage. The court heard he suffers from seizures and 'insufferable headaches' as well as blurred vision and post-traumatic stress disorder. 'I do not recognise myself,' said Mr Lee. He claimed that work provided him with structure, identity and pride, but he was now 'no longer the same man' as every aspect of his life had been affected. Mr Lee said his family had also suffered as they were looking at a person who had 'faded into someone unrecognisable.' 'The emotional toll is impossible to fully explain,' he added. He described the assault as not a momentary injury but 'a permanent turning point in my life.' Mr Lee urged Judge John Martin for any sentence to reflect the seriousness of Gorecki's offending, which had 'taken the remaining years of my life.' Pleading for leniency, Mr Kavanagh said Gorecki came from a relatively poor background and had suffered a lot of tragedy. The court heard his father died when he was very young, while his mother died last year, and a brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in Ireland a few years ago. Mr Kavanagh said the defendant had also expressed remorse and shame for what he described as a 'one-off incident.' He said Gorecki was assessed as being at a moderate risk of reoffending, which he believed was linked to his difficulty in finding employment. However, Mr Kavanagh said the accused had recently received the offer of a job at Arklow Golf Club. The barrister said Gorecki had also reduced his alcohol intake and had not committed any other offences since 2023. While not seeking to blame Mr Lee for what happened, Mr Kavanagh said the bouncer had stood 'toe to toe' with the accused and spoke into their faces. Sentencing Gorecki to three and a half years in prison for the assault offence, Judge Martin suspended the final six months for a period of 12 months on condition that the accused place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service on his release from prison for two years and remain free of alcohol for that period. The judge observed that the accused had only demonstrated partial responsibility for an offence that was 'quick and drink-fuelled' but whose effects were 'lasting and very significant.' He said Mr Lee had suffered most horrific injuries in an attack where Gorecki had delivered 'the first and last blow.' The judge noted that the defendant had only entered guilty pleas after a jury had been sworn in to hear his trial. He also took into account that Gorecki had made no concrete expression of remorse or any offer to make amends. The judge offered his best wishes to Mr Lee and expressed hope that the finalisation of the case would bring him some closure.

Firm fined £1m after worker killed in Manchester by reversing HGV
Firm fined £1m after worker killed in Manchester by reversing HGV

BBC News

time3 days ago

  • BBC News

Firm fined £1m after worker killed in Manchester by reversing HGV

A wholesale grocery supplier has been fined £1m after one of its workers was killed by a reversing Northern Limited employee Lee Warburton was making a delivery with a colleague to a store in Manchester when he was fatally crushed in February Health & Safety Executive (HSE) said the 53-year-old father-of-three from Stockport became trapped between the lorry and a wall while acting as a banksman, directing the HGV into an unloading London-based company admitted failing to implement a safe system of work for vehicle movements and adequately assess the risks for employees acting as banksmen. Mr Warburton's partner, Hayley Tomlinson, described the day he died as the worst of her life. "To be taken in such a cruel manner made it even harder," she said. "Knowing the pain and fear Lee must have gone through was unbearable. "But nothing compares to the moment I had to tell our children their Daddy was never coming home."She added: "It broke my children's spirits - they lost the sparkle in their eyes. Lee was their hero."My children will miss out on all the milestones Lee should have been here for – walking them down the aisle, meeting their first child. "They miss the cuddles, the love he showed them, the days out. This has changed our lives forever." The HSE investigation found Bestway Northern Limited, of Abbey Road in Park Royal, had failed to implement a safe system of work for vehicle company also failed to adequately assess the risks involved in the task or provide sufficient training for employees acting as pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. As well as being fined £1m, it was ordered at Manchester Magistrates' Court to pay prosecution costs of £11, the hearing, HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: "The company had failed to implement a safe system of work for its delivery and unloading activities, thereby exposing employees and others to the risk of being struck or caught by workplace vehicles."Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing, most of which can be avoided by taking simple precautions."All work settings involving vehicles need to consider the risks arising from their use and implement adequate measures to ensure the safety of those involved in these activities." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store