Boy, 15, given life for murdering sisters in fire

A schoolboy who took revenge for being dumped by killing his ex-girlfriend and her older sister in a house fire in south London has been jailed for life.

Akmol Miah, 15, must serve at least 23 years for murdering Maleha, 15, and Nabiha Masud, 21, at their home in Tooting. Miah, who was 14 at the time, searched on Google for "how to burn someone's house down" the day before the attack in June last year.

He had previously threatened Maleha that if she did not continue their relationship he would "do something to her and her family".

Judge Christopher Moss told Miah at the Old Bailey: "These dreadful events happened for no better reason than that you wanted to inflict revenge on Maleha and her family for the fact that she ended your relationship."

The teenager recruited his cousin, Shihabuddin Choudhury, a waiter, to help start the fierce fire by pouring petrol through the Masuds' letterbox and setting light to it as the family slept.

Choudhury, 21, was also jailed for life and told he must serve at least 21 years in jail.

Maleha, described as "the baby of the family", died three days after the fire and her elder sister Nabiha – who had been due to marry in October – after a month.

The girls' mother, Rubina Masud, 55, who survived her injuries, said: "There are no words that can highlight the crippling grief, pain and agony that I am experiencing. Nabiha was so happy, planning her wedding. Maleha was my baby, the youngest of the family – she had her life ahead of her."

Miah, of Croydon, and Choudhury, of Nottingham, were found guilty of murdering the two sisters and the attempted murders of Rubina, as well as brothers Zain, a 24-year-old banker, and Junaid, 18, a schoolboy, at an earlier hearing.