A THIRD man has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with a house fire that left a mum and her young son dead.
Police extradited suspect Jake Barnard from Portugal over the tragedy in Croxden Way, Eastbourne in July 2018.
Gina Ingles, 34, and her four-year-old son Milo Ingles-Bailey died in the fire, while Gina’s partner Tony Jarrett was seriously injured as he escaped the blaze.
Flames engulfed the property in the residential street.
The roof of the two-storey house has been burnt through, and neighbours said the stairs inside have been destroyed.
One onlooker said they saw the bathroom window shatter and flames burst through, setting fire to a nearby tree.
They said there was “nothing anyone could have done” to help, and described the fire as “horrendous and horrible”.
Firefighters battled the flames for hours, and were seen in talks with detectives to establish the cause of the fire.
Police crime scene investigators arrived at the property the morning after while detectives launched Operation Druffield, a murder inquiry.
Detectives executed a European Arrest Warrant, enabling Jake Barnard, 31, formerly of Eastbourne, to be extradited to the UK on Tuesday, January 5 from Portugal, where he is currently serving a custodial sentence for unrelated matters.
He was remanded in custody and appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 6, charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
He has since been further remanded to appear before Lewes Crown Court on Friday, January 8 for a preliminary hearing.
Andrew Milne, 42, from, Hastings, is also charged with two counts of murder, one of attempted murder, and one count of unlawfully possession an offensive weapon. He remains in custody at this stage.
John Tabakis, 30, from Hastings, is charged with perverting the course of justice and remains on conditional bail.
A 28-year-old woman from Hastings, arrested on suspicion of committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of justice, remains released under investigation, pending further enquiries.
A provisional trial date for Milne and Tabakis has been set for April 12.
The investigation into the tragic incident is ongoing, and anyone with any information is urged to report it to Sussex Police online or call 101, quoting Operation Druffield.
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