Hero Rugby paperboy alerted couple to fatal fire
A teenager who has been labelled a hero after he alerted a couple to a fatal house fire in Rugby has said he is pleased he did the "right thing at the right time". Joel, 15, was on his paper round in Firs Drive, Rugby shortly after 07:00 GMT on Monday, when he heard an alarm and saw smoke coming from a semi-detached house. He reacted quickly, alerting the couple in the adjoining home, allowing them to escape, before calling 999. Warwickshire Police has confirmed that two people, believed to be in their 90s, died in the fire.
Joel has received widespread praise on social media and from his school - Harris Church of England Academy - for his quick thinking. Speaking to BBC Radio CWR, he said: "I didn't know what to do at the time because I've never been in that situation before. "But in the end I felt I knew what I needed to do and I feel I did the right thing at the right time. "It was a big surprise and shock for me because I never thought I'd have to put myself in that situation."
The 15-year-old, from Rugby, has now been asked to meet the family of the couple who he alerted to the blaze. His dad, Liam, said: "Me and his mum are really proud of him. "He jumped into action swiftly when he needed to and did the right thing, not feeling the pressure. "We've been overwhelmed with messages from people."
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They said: 'Lead prosecutor Andres Madrea reproduced in his trial request an exchange of messages in the early hours of October 14, where the singer asks the accused for five or five grams and the waiter replies an hour later that he had obtained three grams with the phrase in English: 'I think I got to three. 'Paiz then sent the musician several photographs related to narcotics, including one of a transparent plastic bag with a white powder, after which they agreed that the waiter would go to the CasaSur Hotel where the accused arrived at 3:24am according to the security camera records. 'This shows that the accused Paiz, at Payne's request, went to the hotel in question, stayed in his room, where he gave cocaine to Payne, until he left at around 8:15 am.' They went on to detail the second "drug deal" later the same day when Liam Payne took a taxi to Paiz's flat to pick up cocaine - and reference another subsequent message exchange about a third "possible deal' which they said ended with the singer writing: 'I have DOLLARS US 100. Party.' Three other men initially charged over Liam's death were told in February the case against them had been dropped. Liam's close friend Rogelio Nores, hotel receptionist Esteban Grassi and hotel head of security Gilda Martin were accused of his manslaughter by a female lower court judge before reversing her decision on appeal. No date has yet been set for the Paiz and Pereyra trial although it is expected to kick off shortly. Paiz, who has previously protested his innocence, spoke again from prison this week to repeat an earlier claim that he had shared drugs with the artist but hadn't committed the serious offence of selling him narcotics. The 25-year-old whined in an interview with Argentinian media outlet Infobae from his jail cell at a Buenos Aires police station: 'I don't know what I'm doing here, I'm a good person. 'I shared drugs with Liam but I didn't sell them.' Describing himself as a drug user who started smoking marihuana as a youngster, he added: 'All I want to do is start studying again and leave jail to work, like I was doing before. 'I regret now giving Liam my Instagram because it all spiralled from there. 'If I hadn't I'd probably be working today, I'd be studying, I'd be doing videos because before meeting Liam I'd participated in the filming of a video-clip for YouTube for a singer and other videos for TV. 'I miss the freedom I had, I miss work, I miss my family, my mum and my sisters.' Pereyra handed himself in on January 6 after making himself a fugitive the previous week following failed police attempts to locate and arrest him so he could be remanded in pre-trial custody on the orders of an investigating judge. He has yet to make any public comment.
