Explosion community 'relieved but still in pain'

A community area devastated by an explosion at a cannabis factory which left a man and a seven-year-old boy dead has been described as "relieved but still in pain" following the end of the court case.

Reece Galbraith, 33, of Gateshead, was jailed for 14 years for the blast at Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, in October 2024 which killed Archie York and Jason Laws and forced 120 people from their homes.

Cornerstone Community Centre provided emotional support and co-ordinated donations of clothes, toys and essential items for those displaced.

Its operations manager Amy Sturdy said the sentence offered "some closure, but it doesn't take away the pain or the lasting effects of the tragedy".

Mrs Sturdy said: "The mood in the area is a mix of relief and lingering anger.

"No sentence can truly replace what was lost."

Those evacuated in the hours after the blast on 16 October had now been rehoused or returned to Violet Close, Newcastle City Council said.

Thinking back to the aftermath of the blast, Mrs Sturdy said people were in disbelief, deeply shocked and sad.

"It was something they had never anticipated."

The hub on Armstrong Road received thousands of donations from across north-east England, and Mrs Sturdy said: "The sense of community spirit was heartwarming and showed the true heart of the North East."

• 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis'

She thanked the people who donated at the time and those who "tirelessly" volunteered.

"The generosity and compassion has been heartwarming," she said,

"The community spirit in Benwell has been incredible, as it always is."

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