A court appearance has been scheduled for next month after a teenager was charged in connection with a fatal house fire that claimed the life of a 15-year-old girl nearly two years ago.
The 16-year-old boy will appear before Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 24 February following charges brought on Tuesday related to the death of Tiffany Regis.
Tiffany died following a fire at a property on Tollgate Road in Beckton, east London, on 6 April 2023. She was 15 years old at the time of the incident.
The teenager faces three charges: manslaughter, arson, and arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered. All charges relate to the circumstances surrounding Tiffany’s death in the E6 fire.
The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, has been granted conditional bail ahead of his court appearance later next month.
The charges come nearly 22 months after the fatal fire occurred at the Tollgate Road address in April 2023. Metropolitan Police brought the charges on 27 January following their investigation into the incident.
Manslaughter charges indicate prosecutors believe the teenager’s actions caused Tiffany’s death but without the intent required for a murder charge. The arson charges relate to deliberately starting a fire, with the more serious count alleging recklessness about endangering lives.
The case will begin its journey through the criminal justice system when the defendant makes his first appearance at Stratford Magistrates’ Court in three weeks.
Magistrates’ courts handle the initial stages of criminal proceedings, where defendants are formally presented with charges and enter pleas. Given the serious nature of the offences, the case would likely be referred to Crown Court if it proceeds beyond preliminary hearings.
Youth defendants receive special considerations during legal proceedings, with restrictions on identifying them publicly and additional safeguards during court processes.
The February court date will mark the beginning of legal proceedings that could take months to resolve, depending on how the defendant pleads and whether the case advances to trial.
Tiffany’s family have not released any public statements since the charges were announced on Tuesday.
