Two 17-year-old boys have been jailed for 10 years for their role in an armed arson attack at an Indian restaurant in east London in August 2025 which left several diners seriously injured.
Indian Aroma Restaurant in Gants Hill. Photo courtesy: www.tripadvisor.in
The teenagers, who were not named because of their minor status, were convicted of arson with intent to endanger life after being involved in the attack on Indian Aroma in Gants Hill, the BBC reported. Following the attack, the restaurant has been closed permanently.
The Central Criminal Court, popularly known as the Old Bailey, heard that the teenagers entered the restaurant carrying machetes and held the doors shut while a third person poured fuel around the premises and set it on fire.
A married couple in their 20s were among those dining at the restaurant when the attack unfolded. As per reports, petrol was poured on the woman, causing severe burns and melting her clothes onto her skin.
Reports said she suffered burns to 50 per cent of her body, including full-thickness burns to 45 per cent of her total body surface area. The victim had to be placed in a medically induced coma while receiving treatment.
It added that though her husband managed to escape the restaurant while on fire, he too suffered mixed-depth burns to more than half of his body.
Sentencing the teenagers at the Old Bailey, Judge Michael Grieve KC described the attack as “sophisticated and professional” and said it was carried out “in cold blood”.
He said the victims had suffered “agonising and life-changing injuries” and added that he believed the teenagers were acting on the instructions of an older and more experienced criminal who had not been identified.
The boys had denied the charges. The two teenagers were given extended sentences consisting of 10 years in custody and a further three-year extended period, the BBC reported.
Dining and Cooking