A COUPLE who started a fire which killed their 21 month old son and seriously injured their baby were jailed yesterday.
Michael Cunningham (27) was sentenced to seven years and his girlfriend, Amanda McKeana (20), to five years after they admitted the manslaughter of their son, Jim.
Cunningham also received a sentence of four years and McKenna of three years, to run concurrently, for causing grievous bodily harm to their second son, six month old Billy.
Leeds Crown Court court heard that Cunningham, who is classed as mildly mentally handicapped, and McKenna, who also has a very low IQ, started fires at houses they occupied in South Parkway, Seacroft, Leeds, to get compensation to pay off debts, which included money spent on gambling.
But the final fire, on October 2nd, 1994, got out of hand and the couple originally from Drogheda were forced to jump out of the bedroom window, leaving their children behind.
Both boys were rescued by a fireman but Jim died 10 days later after suffering 60 per cent burns. Billy survived but it is believed he may have suffered brain damage. He is in long term foster care with his baby sister Mandy, who was born while McKenna was on remand.
Cunningham and McKenna both eventually confessed in police interviews to starting the fires, but initially pleaded not guilty in court. They changed their pleas on the fourth day of the trial on Monday. The couple initially blamed the fires on a vendetta against them because they were Irish.
Mr Brian Walsh QC, defending McKenna, said she had had a wretched life and had been pregnant six times by the time she was 20. Mr Justice Kennedy said she would get a shorter sentence than Cunningham because she was so young and had lost her children.