Elderly Couple Torched to Death in Drug Dealer’s Savage Revenge
An innocent elderly couple were brutally burned alive after a Liverpool drug lord ordered their home torched in a chilling act of vengeance. Sheila Jackson, 83, and Eric Greener, 77, had no criminal links but fell victim to a deadly blaze set on 15 July 2025 in St Helens.
Drug Dealer’s Deadly Payback
Kevin Weetman, 34, from Sefton Park, launched the horrific attack to punish Sheila Jackson’s son for refusing to join his drug gang. Prosecutors said Weetman “wanted to exert his power as a drug dealer” by ordering the fire that trapped the elderly couple inside their South John Street home.
Weetman recruited Kylie Maynard, 47, from Everton, to arrange the attack. She passed orders to arsonists Paul Smith, 40, and homeless Lee Owens, 46. The pair rode motorbikes, carrying petrol, to set the devastating fire.
Justice for Innocent Victims
Despite all three denying murder, a Liverpool Crown Court jury found them guilty of manslaughter in January 2026. The court heard the couple were “entirely innocent” with no police ties.
- Kevin Weetman: Life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years before parole, plus 16 years for drug conspiracy
- Kylie Maynard: 23 years for manslaughter, plus 8 years for drug conspiracy
- Lee Owens: 13 years and 6 months for manslaughter
Paul Smith admitted his role in the arson to a friend but was found dead just a week after the fire.
The Devastating Fallout of Drug Turf Wars
“Kevin Weetman set in course the events that led to their deaths to exert his power as a drug dealer and punish Ms Jackson’s son for not agreeing to work for him,” said Senior Crown Prosecutor Mairead Neeson. “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Sheila Jackson and Eric Greener.”
The brutal sentences highlight the deadly consequences of drug-related violence and the tragic toll on innocent lives caught in the crossfire.
