CCTV issued in hunt for arsonist who torched home in south London killing Joel Urhie, 7

Detectives issued images showing a man purchasing fuel from a petrol station in Blackheath, two miles from the family’s home, just an hour before the fire
Isobel Frodsham22 March 2019
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Detectives today issued CCTV of a man wanted over an arson attack in which a boy of seven was killed at his family home moments after telling his mother: “We’re going to make it out together”.

Joel Urhie became trapped and died as his home was engulfed in flames in Deptford, south-east London, in the early hours of August 7 last year.

His mother Efe and his sister Sarah, who were also inside, survived the blaze but were seriously injured after leaping 15 feet from a first floor window to safety.

Police investigating the suspected arson today released CCTV showing a man purchasing fuel from a petrol station in Blackheath, two miles from the family’s home, just an hour earlier.

The man paid for the petrol with a £20 note and left on a push bike

The images show the man arriving at the Shell garage in Shooters Hill Road at 2.30am and filling a petrol can. He paid with a £20 note and left on a push-bike.

In the new appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch Roadshow, Ms Urhie, a nurse, told of her son’s last words as she prepared to jump out of the window to cushion his fall.

She said: “He told me ‘I love you Mummy’, and ‘we’re going to make it together’”.

A man was seen walking off with a can of petrol from the Shell garage in Shooters Hill Road

Photographs taken after the fire had ripped through the home showed the trail of devastation left by the blaze, including inside one of the flat’s upstairs bedrooms.

Police launched a murder investigation after Joel’s body was found by emergency services inside the property in Adolphus Street. A post mortem examination found he died as a result of smoke inhalation and injuries from the fire.

The devastation wreaked by the fire at the family's home in Deptford

Ms Urhie spent weeks in hospital after suffering a head injury and breaking her arm and pelvis in the fall. Sarah broke her heel but was later discharged to recover with relatives.

Officers are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire but believe it involved a burning item being pushed through the letterbox.

 Joel Urhie, seven, died in the arson attack 
PA

Detective Inspector Alison Cole, who is leading the investigation, said: “This terrible arson - one of the most horrific crimes I have seen in over 25 years of policing - claimed the life of an innocent child, a tragic loss his family will never get over, and we desperately need the help of the public to bring justice for Joel’s family.”

The youngster told his mother 'We’re going to make it together' as they tried to flee the blaze
PA

The man wanted by police is described as white, aged between 30 to 40, approximately 5ft 10ins tall and of medium build. He was wearing blue jeans, blue deck shoes and a blue t-shirt emblazoned with a motif featuring the word “removals”.

Detective Inspector Cole added: “We are asking for help to identify this individual as we would like to speak to him as part of our ongoing work, if only to eliminate him from our enquiries. If you are this man, or you know him, please contact us as soon as possible.”

Joel's mother Efe spent weeks in hospital after suffering serious injuries while fleeing the fire

After his death last summer, Ms Urhie described her son, who was a pupil at Tidemill Academy in Deptford, as “sweet and caring”

She told the Standard: “He was so intelligent and always curious to learn new things. His smile and laugh would light up a room and he was so full of life and energy.”

Two men, aged 21 and 29, were arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson on August 7 last year. They were later released under investigation.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in