Inquest Hears Four Children Were 'Petrified' Before Fatal Walkden Petrol Bomb Attack

An inquest has heard that four children who died in a petrol bomb attack at their Greater Manchester home had been left deeply frightened by a series of earlier assaults on the property, with their mother telling police she no longer felt safe there.

Demi Pearson, 15, her eight-year-old brother Brandon, and her sisters Lacie, seven, and three-year-old Lia, all lost their lives when their home on Jackson Street in Walkden was firebombed in December 2017. Their mother, Michelle Pearson, then 37, suffered catastrophic burns in the same blaze and died in August 2019, roughly 20 months after the attack.

The hearing at Bolton Coroner's Court, which is expected to run for eight weeks, was told that Michelle had repeatedly raised concerns with the authorities before the fatal incident. According to evidence presented to the court, she described being unable to feel safe in a house that had been defaced with graffiti and had its windows shattered.

The inquest heard that Zak Bolland and David Worrall were given life sentences in 2018 for murdering the four children, and were convicted again in 2021 for Michelle's murder. Bolland received a life term with a minimum of 40 years, while Worrall was handed life with a minimum of 37 years.

It was told that, just a fortnight before the fatal firebombing, Bolland used a hammer to break windows at the family home, leaving broken glass scattered throughout the property. The attack formed part of what the court heard was a pattern of hostility directed at the household before the December 2017 arson.

Relatives of Michelle told the inquest in a statement that she had been left traumatised by the attacks and had contacted police on five separate occasions. Her son Kyle, who managed to escape the flames, told the hearing in his own statement that officers had failed to take meaningful action, saying "the police didn't do anything."

The court also heard that Michelle sustained burns to 68 per cent of her body and fought to stay alive for around 20 months after the fire before dying on 25 August 2019. During part of her hospital treatment, she was unaware that her children had been killed, and her mental health declined sharply once she was informed.

Her mother, Sandra Lever, said in a statement that her daughter had been desperate to leave Jackson Street and had been left "beyond distressed" by the situation, to the point that she stopped eating. Lever told the inquest that the children were terrified of continuing to live in the house, adding that they had been suffering nightmares and that Brandon had said he no longer wanted to stay there.

The hearing was told that Michelle had approached her social landlord to explain that she was in danger, but was reportedly told she did not meet the threshold for emergency housing. Relatives claimed she felt she had been fobbed off rather than helped, despite her mounting fears for her family's safety.

Elaine Williams, a neighbour, described witnessing Bolland smashing the windows of the Pearson home with a hammer in the weeks leading up to the fire. She said Michelle was desperate to move, was worn down by the persistent trouble, and was deeply anxious, describing her as being at her wits' end.

Senior coroner Timothy Brennand, for Greater Manchester West, told the hearing that the proceedings were not a trial and were not intended as an exercise in assigning blame. He said the inquest would examine whether there had been any predictable threat to life and what could or should have been done to prevent the deaths, giving the Pearson family an opportunity to be heard.

Brennand noted that the family's concerns ultimately came down to a single question of "what if," and he read out remarks made by the judge who sentenced the killers. The judge had concluded that a series of tit-for-tat attacks linked to a feud had preceded the fatal firebombing, though the underlying cause of the dispute was never made public.

Anna Morris KC, representing the Pearson family, described Michelle as a dedicated mother who read bedtime stories to her children every night. The court heard that she was left with severe injuries and spent a prolonged period in hospital, and that when she eventually died, her family placed a crucifix in her hand along with a photograph of her children, expressing their belief that she was now back with them and free from pain.

Tributes were also paid to each of the children. Demi was remembered as a cheerful and smiling young person who shared a close bond with her mother, while Brandon was described as having an infectious smile and being a "mummy's boy." Lacie was called a little "diva," and Lia was remembered as a talkative child with a cheeky laugh. The family said all four had bright futures ahead of them and that they treasured the short time they had together.

The court also heard that Bolland's girlfriend at the time, Courtney Brierley, then 20, was jailed for 21 years after being convicted of four counts of manslaughter. The inquest continues, with evidence expected to examine the response of police, housing authorities and other agencies in the period before the attack.