Inquest Hears Four Children Killed in Walkden Arson 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 in the weeks leading up to the fire, a coroner's court has heard. Demi Pearson, 15, her brother Brandon, eight, and her sisters Lacie, seven, and Lia, three, all lost their lives in the blaze at their house on Jackson Street in Walkden in December 2017.

The children's mother, Michelle Pearson, then 37, suffered catastrophic burns in the attack and remained in hospital for around 20 months before she died on 25 August 2019. An inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court, expected to run for eight weeks, has now begun examining the circumstances surrounding all five deaths.

The hearing was told that Michelle had repeatedly told police she did not feel safe in her own home, which had been defaced with graffiti and had its windows smashed on more than one occasion. Relatives described her as being "beyond distressed" and said the children had become terrified of the house where they lived. The family's statements painted a picture of a household under siege in the period before the fatal attack.

Two weeks before the firebombing, Zak Bolland attacked the property with a hammer, shattering windows and leaving broken glass strewn across the scene. A neighbour, Elaine Williams, told the inquest she witnessed the vandalism and recalled how desperate Michelle had become in the aftermath. Williams said Michelle wanted to leave Jackson Street, describing her as "fed up of all the trouble", with her nerves "shot" and her mind "at her wits' end".

According to evidence read to the court, Michelle contacted police on five separate occasions to report her fears. Her son Kyle, who managed to escape the flames on the night of the attack, said in a statement that officers had failed to act. Family members told the hearing they believed the deaths were "wholly preventable" and pointed to what they described as missed opportunities to protect the family.

The court heard that Michelle had approached her social landlord to explain that she was in danger and needed to be rehoused, only to be told she did not meet the criteria for emergency accommodation. Her mother, Sandra Lever, said in a statement that her daughter had been desperate for a move. Lever described how Michelle had stopped eating and how the children were frightened of continuing to live at the address. Brandon, she said, had told his mother he no longer wanted to stay there, while the children suffered from nightmares.

Lever also revealed that Michelle felt she had been "fobbed off" when she sought help, a sentiment echoed by other relatives who gave evidence. The inquest heard that Michelle had even reported to her landlord that she was in danger, yet the family remained in the property until the night of the attack.

Senior coroner Timothy Brennand, for Greater Manchester West, opened proceedings by stressing that the hearing was neither a trial nor an exercise in apportioning blame. He said the purpose was to investigate whether there had been any predictable threat to the family's lives and to establish what could or should have been done to prevent the deaths. Brennand added that the family's concerns could be summed up in a single rhetorical question: "What if?"

The coroner read aloud remarks made by the judge who sentenced the killers. According to Brennand, the trial judge had concluded that a series of tit-for-tat attacks had formed part of a feud in the run-up to the fatal firebombing, although the underlying cause of that dispute was never disclosed in open court.

Zak Bolland and David Worrall were convicted in 2018 of murdering the four children and were handed life sentences. In 2021, both men were also found guilty of Michelle Pearson's murder. Bolland received a life term with a minimum 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.

Anna Morris KC, representing the Pearson family, told the court that Michelle had been a devoted mother who read bedtime stories to her children every night. Morris said Michelle sustained massive injuries in the fire and spent a lengthy period in hospital, during which she was initially unaware that her children had died. When she was eventually informed, her mental health deteriorated sharply. Michelle died in hospital with a crucifix placed in her hand and a photograph of her children beside her, the family said, adding that they took comfort from the belief that she was now "back with her children and out of pain".

Tributes read during the hearing remembered each child individually. Demi was described as a happy and smiley young person who had been best friends with her mother, while Brandon was remembered as a "mummy's boy" with an infectious smile. Lacie was characterised as a little "diva", and three-year-old Lia as a chatterbox with a cheeky laugh. The family said all four children had bright futures ahead of them and that they cherished the short time they had shared with them.

The inquest continues, with evidence expected to focus on contact between the family and police, housing providers and other agencies in the months before the arson. The proceedings are likely to renew scrutiny of how authorities respond to reports of domestic threats and harassment, particularly when children are involved, and of whether opportunities to intervene were missed.