The boy is not guilty of endangering his life by fire

A 16-year-old boy has been cleared by a judge of endangering life after setting fire to a Catholic school in west London.

A serious incident was declared after smoke and flames erupted in the atrium of the London Oratory School in Fulham on December 27 last year.

The youth, who cannot be named due to his age, was arrested by police the same day and initially denied arson charges, before confessing to the crime on September 2.

He was also charged with reckless arson endangering life and assaulting an emergency worker, but denied both offences.

During a hearing at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, District Judge Andrew Sweet ruled that the endangering life charge should be dismissed because he believed the defendant was “considering his actions” and “intended to harm himself rather than anyone else.”

The teenager wrote a letter of apology and called 999 immediately after the fire, but also kicked a responding police officer, a court heard.

Sweet ruled that the defendant’s conduct toward the officer was “reckless” and found him guilty of assaulting the emergency worker.

The young man appeared in court in person for the hearing along with his family members.

The judge released the accused on conditional bail to appear before the same court again on November 12.