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

Four children who died in a petrol bomb attack on their family home in Greater Manchester had been living in terror for months beforehand, an inquest has been told. Demi Pearson, 15, her eight-year-old brother Brandon, and sisters Lacie, seven, and three-year-old Lia were killed when their house on Jackson Street in Walkden was firebombed in December 2017. Their mother, Michelle Pearson, then 37, suffered catastrophic burns in the same attack and died 20 months later, in August 2019, without ever fully recovering from the loss of her children.

The inquest, which opened at Bolton Coroner's Court and is expected to run for eight weeks, heard that Michelle had repeatedly told police she did not feel safe in her own home. The property had been defaced with graffiti and its windows had been smashed in the weeks leading up to the fatal fire. Relatives described a family under siege, with the children suffering nightmares and Brandon telling his grandmother he no longer wanted to live at the address.

Two men were convicted over the attack. Zak Bolland and David Worrall were jailed for life in 2018 for murdering the four children, and in 2021 they were also convicted of Michelle's murder. Bolland received a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years, while Worrall was given life with a minimum of 37 years. Bolland's girlfriend at the time, Courtney Brierley, then 20, was jailed for 21 years after being convicted of four counts of manslaughter.

The court heard that just a fortnight before the firebombing, Bolland had used a hammer to smash the windows of the Pearson family's house, leaving broken glass scattered throughout the property. A neighbour, Elaine Williams, testified that she witnessed the attack and described how Michelle had become desperate to leave Jackson Street in the aftermath. Williams said the mother "wanted out" and was "fed up of all the trouble," adding that her nerves were shot and she was at her wits' end with worry.

In statements read to the inquest, family members said Michelle had contacted police on five separate occasions to report concerns about her safety. Her son Kyle, who managed to escape the blaze, told the hearing in his own statement that "the police didn't do anything." The family's legal representative, Anna Morris KC, described Michelle as a devoted mother who read bedtime stories to her children every night and who had been left profoundly traumatised by the escalating campaign of intimidation against her household.

Michelle's mother, Sandra Lever, told the court her daughter had been "beyond distressed" in the period before the attack. She said Michelle was not eating and that the children were frightened of living on Jackson Street. Lever also revealed that Michelle had approached her social landlord to explain she was in danger, but was told she did not meet the criteria for emergency housing, leaving her feeling "fobbed off" by the authorities.

Senior coroner Timothy Brennand, presiding over the hearing, was careful to set the tone for proceedings. He told those present that the inquest was "not a trial" and "not an exercise in blame and shame." Instead, he said, the purpose was to examine whether there had been any predictable threat to life and to establish what could or should have been done that might have prevented the deaths. He acknowledged that the family's concerns essentially boil down to two words of rhetoric: "What if?"

Brennand read out remarks made by Justice Davis, the judge who sentenced the killers. The judge had determined that a series of tit-for-tat attacks formed part of a feud leading up to the fatal firebombing, though the underlying cause of that dispute was never made public. The coroner said the inquest aimed to give the Pearson family a voice after years of seeking answers about the failures that preceded the tragedy.

The human cost of the attack was laid bare in emotional tributes from the family. Demi was remembered as a happy, smiley child who was best friends with her mother. Brandon was described as having an infectious smile and being a "mummy's boy," while Lacie was characterised as a little "diva." Lia, the youngest, was a chatterbox with a cheeky laugh. The family said in a statement that all four children had bright futures ahead of them, adding: "We cherish the short time we shared with them."

Michelle sustained burns to 68% of her body in the attack and clung to life for around 20 months. During much of her time in hospital she was unaware that her children had died, and her mental health deteriorated sharply once she was told the truth. When she finally died on 25 August 2019, her family placed a crucifix in her hand and a photograph of her children beside her. "We know she's back with her children and out of pain," the family said.

Relatives have argued that the deaths were "wholly preventable" and have pointed to what they describe as missed opportunities to protect the family. The inquest is expected to scrutinise the responses of police, housing authorities and other agencies who had contact with Michelle in the months before the fire. The family's legal team is expected to press for answers about why a mother who repeatedly reported threats to her safety was not moved to alternative accommodation.

The hearing continues, with evidence anticipated from police officers, housing officials and other witnesses over the coming weeks. The coroner has indicated the inquest will examine the broader circumstances surrounding the feud, including whether authorities could reasonably have foreseen the escalation that ended in the deaths of five members of one family. For the Pearson family, the proceedings represent a long-awaited opportunity to establish a full public account of what happened.