Zak Bolland, convicted of murdering Michelle Pearson and her four children in a firebomb attack, 'played the probation service like a fiddle' in the lead-up to the deadly arson, an inquest has heard.
Demi, 15; Brandon, eight; Lacie, seven; and Lia, three, died after Bolland and accomplice David Worrall hurled petrol bombs into the family's home in Walkden on December 11, 2017. Ms Pearson died aged 37 almost two years later from injuries suffered in the fire, Bolton Coroners' Court was told.
The attack came amid a 'tit-for-tat' feud involving Ms Pearson's eldest son Kyle, 16. The inquest into the five deaths is ongoing.
Previous warnings and missed opportunities
Coroner Timothy Brennand previously heard Bolland was arrested weeks before the attack after smashing windows and threatening to firebomb the Jackson Street property. He was released after a 12-minute 'no comment' interview, with no further action taken, despite being on a suspended sentence for offences including dangerous driving and taking a vehicle without consent.
The officer who interviewed Bolland said he was unaware of the extent of his previous crimes, adding: "If I had been fully aware of all that, I would have passed the information to the custody sergeant and looked into taking the matter further."
The inquest heard Bolland later turned up at the family's home 'shouting' about being 'NFA'd'. Days later, a wheelie bin was set on fire. A form featured Bolland as a 'named perpetrator' and stated 'retaliation?', noting the property had been 'targeted following stabbing of gang member'.
Probation service evidence
As the inquest resumed on Friday (October 23), Julie Willis - then probation service interchange manager, now national specialist lead at HM Prison and Probation Service headquarters - gave evidence. In October 2017, Bolland's probation officer Melissa Steventon decided to 'breach' him after he missed meetings and arranged, unpaid work shifts.
Asked about the decision, Ms Willis said: "I think there could have been some improvements in terms of timings of that particular breach. I could understand she was attempting to reengage with him and to try and work around that."
The risk of Bolland causing serious harm was judged to be 'medium'. Ms Pearson's reports of property damage and petrol bomb threats would have been considered during a risk assessment, but could not be taken as 'fact' as Bolland had not been charged or convicted in relation to those alleged offences.
Following Bolland's release from police custody on December 3 with no further action, Ms Willis said: "In the first instance, it is about engagement. Trying to engage with that offender... about meeting and being able to see what's happened."
Coroner's conclusion
Coroner Mr Brennand asked: "You want to make sure the probation service is not being played like a fiddle by someone not willing to engage. And it's something to balance in that timeline. Do you accept he was playing the probation service like a fiddle at that point in time?" Ms Willis agreed.
In 2018, Bolland and Worrall were handed four life sentences and told they would serve a minimum of 40 and 37 years respectively, having been found guilty of murder. Bolland's then girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, was jailed for 21 years for four counts of manslaughter.
