Two teenage girls and a man were charged yesterday with the manslaughter of Mr Bryan Smyth, who died in a fire at a hostel in Belfast earlier this week.
One of the girls is a 14-year-old juvenile and cannot be named. The other is Alison Elizabeth Cush (17), Victoria Gardens, and the third defendant is Mr Joseph Patrick Mackin (30), of Cavehill Road, both Belfast.
At Belfast Magistrates' Court they were charged with unlawfully killing Mr Smyth (37), who died from smoke inhalation after a fire was started at Avonbeg House, a hostel at Thorndale Avenue in the Antrim Road area.
They were also charged with arson endangering the lives of eight other residents.
A detective told the court that when Ms Cush was charged she replied: "I wasn't the one who lit the fire. Not guilty." Ms Mackin replied: "Definitely not guilty" and the juvenile said: "Not guilty."
The three were remanded in custody.