A teenage girl who killed her care worker by burning down a Hednesford home has been sentenced to six years in a young offenders' institution.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found guilty of manslaughter after an eight-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

When she set fire to the Green Heath Road residential unit on December 19 last year, 29-year-old care worker Elizabeth Seddon was trapped upstairs by the flames.

Mrs Seddon made a dramatic 999 call for help but despite firefighters' efforts to rescue her she died from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation.

The girl, originally from London, was placed in foster care because of behavioural problems and was the sole resident at the care home.
She had not seen her father for 14 years and was due to be driven to London by Mrs Seddon on Thursday, December 20.

But the girl, who was then 15, started a fire in the kitchen on December 19. This was extinguished by Mrs Seddon who then locked herself in a first floor office - a procedure all staff followed when a resident was causing problems.

From there she phoned the 'on call' manager and told him the teenager was trying to set fire to the unit. She cut the call short because the fire alarm had activated.

By now the girl had started another fire in the sitting room directly below the office - she set alight two armchairs before leaving the house. At 7.47pm Staffordshire Fire and Rescue received a call from Mrs Seddon reporting the blaze. She was unable to get out and remained on the phone until she lapsed into unconciousness seven minutes later.

Firefighters recovered her from the office but she was pronounced dead at the scene. In a statement, Mrs Seddon's husband Robert said: "We hoped and prayed for justice for Elizabeth and now the appropriate verdict has been delivered.
"We hold on tightly to the life, love and memories that we, Elizabeth's family and friends, had the great honour of sharing with her.
"We have already begun the life-sentence of living our lives in a world without her - our three boys without their mother, while I face life without my wife."

After the verdict, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Paul Davey said there 'was never any doubt the defendant caused the fire' but her intent was the issue on trial.

"I am very satisfied by the outcome of this investigation which has seen justice served for Liz's family," he said.
"The defendant knew that Liz was in the upstairs office and was making a call about the fire in the kitchen.
"She lit fires knowing there was no opportunity available for Liz to put out the fire. Then she walked away, leaving all the doors open, allowing the air to feed the fire and smoke to fill the house."

DCI Davey said in seconds smoke was billowing out of the door and in such volume that she must have realised the 'extreme danger'.
"But she did nothing. She did not raise the alarm or call for help. She just walked away," he said.
"She had with her a mobile phone, but didn't call 999. She saw a neighbour at a window, but didn't alert her. There is a public phone 200 metres from the house and she passed two pedestrians but refused to summon help.
"She has robbed Liz's three young children of their mother and Robert of his wife."

DCI Davey added that he could only hope the verdict will 'help bring some closure to this traumatic period' for Mrs Seddon's family.

"The anniversary of her death draws closer. In the week before Christmas, when most of us are preparing for seasonal cheer, their lives will no doubt be enveloped by the sadness that Liz's loss must bring," he said.