Arson attack deaths of mother and four children ‘wholly preventable’ – family

The family of a mother and four of her children murdered in an arson attack believes their deaths were “wholly preventable”, a court has heard.

The blaze claimed the lives of Demi Pearson, 15, her brother Brandon, eight, and sisters Lacie, seven, and Lia, three.

Their mother Michelle Pearson suffered 68% burns to her body and “clung on to life” until she died, aged 37, on August 25 2019 – 20 months after the attack in Walkden (pictured), Greater Manchester.

She had “begged” to be rehoused and called police on five occasions in the two weeks before the fatal attack, the trial of her killers heard.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the family’s contact with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) involving incidents and threats from their killers, and a report was completed in 2019, but not made public.

On Wednesday a pre-inquest hearing took place at Bolton Coroner’s Court, more than seven years on from the deaths.

A full inquest is scheduled for June this year, but this is now in doubt, the hearing was told.

Glynis Craig, representing the IOPC, told the hearing the police watchdog had been notified by GMP of “some concerns” around the IOPC original investigation and had asked it to review it.

The IOPC was now deciding, following the review, whether it needed to conduct a new investigation, Ms Craig said.

Timothy Brennand, senior coroner for Greater Manchester West, told Ms Craig that if ever there was a case that merited more resources to prevent further delay, “this is the case”.

Mr Brennand said the Pearson family wishes to know whether any possible failures by the police or other local authorities put the family at risk.

He added: “The family have raised serious misgivings of missed opportunities for state agencies to have adequately assessed the risk to life and take appropriate action.

“The family contend the deaths to be wholly preventable and were not sufficiently involved in the subsequent investigations, have no confidence in findings, some of which are not within the public domain as yet…”

Zak Bolland and David Worrall were both given four life sentences and told they would serve a minimum of 40 and 37 years respectively for the petrol bomb attack on the Pearson family home on Jackson Street in Walkden in the early hours of December 11 2017.

Bolland’s girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, 20, was jailed for 21 years for four counts of manslaughter after the trial at Manchester Crown Court in 2018.

A major safeguarding review was launched into how authorities, including the council, police and health officials, handled contact with the family before the fatal attack.

This review has also not been made public.

Mrs Pearson’s home was previously attacked, its windows and doors smashed, graffiti sprayed on the walls and her wheelie bin set on fire.

She saw at least six different officers, statements were made, risk referral forms completed, fire service personnel carried out two “safe and well” visits, the family social worker was informed and social services were alerted.

Mrs Pearson told her housing provider, City West, she did not feel safe at home with her children and wanted out.

City West said it never received any request for a move, believed to have been handled by Salford City Council.

Officers from GMP took a statement from Mrs Pearson on the night of the fire, having been called out after Bolland had been round “kicking off”.

It is not clear if officers immediately actively sought out Bolland, who lived around 300 yards from Mrs Pearson and was at home at the time the officers called.

Hours later he and Worrall returned to the Pearsons’ home armed with two petrol bombs.

A further pre-inquest hearing will be held on April 4.

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