Three appear in court over deadly shop blaze

A MAN from Oldham and two others have appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of five people after allegedly starting a fire at a shop using petrol.

Arkan Ali, 37, from Oldham, Hawkar Hassan, 32, of no fixed address, and Aram Kurd, 33, from Leicester, were arrested after a Polish supermarket and two-storey flat were destroyed in an explosion on Sunday, February 25. Four of those killed in the incident have been named as Shane Rajoobeer, 18, Sean Rajoobeer, 17, Leah Beth Reek, 18, who was Shane’s girlfriend, and Viktorija Ljevleva, 22, who had been living in Oldham.

The fifth victim killed in the explosion on Hinckley Road, Leicester, is believed to be Shane and Sean’s 46-year-old mother, Mary. The trio appeared at Leicester magistrates court to face a separate count of arson with intent to endanger life and were not required to enter any pleas.

Another man in his 40s, from East Anglia, was arrested, also on suspicion of manslaughter. Two men, also from East Anglia, were arrested but have since been released under investigation.

Mr Ali, of Drake Close, Oldham, Mr Hassan, of no fixed address, and Mr Kurd, of Hillary Place, Leicester, spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses. The three men were remanded into custody by magistrates until a further hearing on April 3 at the city’s crown court.