Hotel caretaker died after tackling fire started by teenage sex worker
A caretaker at a London hotel died after fighting a fire that had been deliberately started in a bedroom on the day before he was due to retire.
Richard Staley, 65, collapsed from a heart attack after battling the flames at the Park Grand Paddington Court Hotel, near Hyde Park.
He was rushed to hospital where he remained in a coma for three weeks before losing his fight for life.
The story emerged as a teenage sex worker was jailed at the Old Bailey for six years for deliberately setting her bed alight after finding that a client she had picked up in a club the previous night had slipped out, leaving only half of her £300 fee.
The court 19-year-od heard Nora Es-Sadki Boughima had asked the hotel reception for a lighter 20 minutes before the fire started.
She was caught on CCTV leaving the hotel just before the fire alarms sounded at 2.50pm on January 30.
Detective Constable Mike Reilly, who investigated the fire, said: "Mr Staley had worked at the hotel for 18 years and was a very popular member of staff. His colleagues have been left deeply upset at his death."
He added: "As a result of her anger at not being paid, Es-Sadki Boughima sought her revenge by deliberately setting fire to the bed in the hotel room. This was a reckless act that endangered the lives of people in the hotel and neighbouring properties.
Es-Sadki Boughima, of Paddington, pleaded guilty to arson at Southwark crown court in March and admitted manslaughter at the Old Bailey last month. She was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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