A man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter over a house fire in Sydney that killed a teenager more than 27 years ago.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name and image of a person who has died.

The 13-year-old boy was at the Waterloo home for a sleepover in April 1998 when it was engulfed by the blaze, which was revealed by forensic investigations to have been deliberately lit.

Arthur Haines was trapped on the top floor and managed to escape, but suffered severe burns and died in hospital 11 weeks later.

Almost 25 years would pass before police extradited Gregory John Walker from Queensland to Sydney to face charges over the fire.

Police previously said Arthur was an innocent party caught up in an escalating neighbourhood dispute.

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