Tragic Joel never stood a chance
Inside fire-ravaged bedroom of boy aged 7 killed in arson attack ‘targeted at his older brother’
The walls of the little boy’s room are charred from devastating flames, the window blown out, and the bed and belongings are burnt to a cinder.
This is the first photo inside the bedroom of Joel Urhie, seven, who was killed when an inferno ripped through his family home in a nighttime arson attack – believed to be aimed at his drug-dealing brother.
Trapped Joel perished in the blaze as his terrified mother Iroroefe Urhie, 50, and sister Sarah, 19, leapt from the first-floor window of the house.
Witnesses told of their desperate screams for help as Joel remained inside and died before emergency services could reach him. Yesterday Mrs Urhie spoke for the first time about losing her ‘sweetest, most caring little boy’ and the family desperately appealed for information to catch the killers.
It is thought they may have been targeting Joel’s brother Sam, 21, in a gangrelated attack. Relatives said Sam was stabbed after recently leaving prison. he has now been returned to jail – although not in connection with the arson.
Officers arrested two men in the wake of the blaze at 3.30am on August 7 in Deptford, South London, but later released them.
Nurse Mrs Urhie, who suffered a head injury and broke her arm and pelvis in the leap, said: ‘Joel was the sweetest, most caring little boy you could ever meet. he was so intelligent and always curious to learn new things.
‘Joel always wanted people around him – that was why we used to go to the park a lot so that he could make new friends. his smile and laugh would light up a room and he was so full of life and energy’.
Joel’s cousin Tega Majoroh,
Devastation: The charred remains of the bedroom of seven-year-old Joel, above 18, called on ‘anyone who has has broken a lot of people. It of the most horrific crimes a heart’ and any information helps knowing that we can that I’ve dealt with in 26 to contact the police. She get some closure and find this years. A vulnerable sevenyear-old said: ‘Joel was a kid that if person so they cannot hurt has died in the most you met him you would fall in anyone else. horrific circumstances.’ love with him straightaway. ‘he was an innocent boy. he Joel had wanted to be a he was smiley and caring and hasn’t done anything to anybody fireman when he grew up would be nice to everyone he to deserve what he got’. and posed as one in a family met. he had lots of friends.’ Detective Inspector Alison portrait. A spokesman for
She added: ‘It’s a devastating Cole said police were keeping his school, Tidemill Academy time because he was just an ‘open mind’ on the motive, in Deptford, said: ‘The seven years old. I would ask insisting: ‘We need any little pain and suffering that his anyone who knows anything pieces of information we can family are going through to come forward because this get.’ She added: ‘This is one now is unimaginable.’