An inquest has heard that social services received an anonymous phone call warning that the Pearson family was in 'great danger' just 12 days before a petrol bomb attack killed Michelle Pearson and four of her children.
Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia, aged three, died in the firebombing of their home on Jackson Street, Walkden, Salford, on December 11, 2017. Their mother, Michelle Pearson, 37, died almost two years later from injuries sustained in the fire, Bolton Coroners' Court was told.
Zak Bolland, then 26, carried out the attack amid a 'tit-for-tat' feud with Ms Pearson's eldest son, Kyle, then 16.
Anonymous warning logged but not escalated
The anonymous call was received by an administration staff member on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, the inquest heard on Wednesday (October 21). The caller said: "People are turning up to the property after the older sibling. The children are in a really unsafe environment and are in great danger through the older siblings causing a lot of trouble."
The call was logged in the case files but not passed on to social services managers as it should have been, the inquest heard. At the time, the family's social worker Sharon Oldham had left her role, and a duty solicitor had been assigned while a replacement was appointed.
Three days before the anonymous tip, Bolland had smashed the front windows and front door of the Pearson home with a hammer and threatened to petrol bomb the property.
Social worker visit and missed handover
Ms Oldham visited the family on Monday, November 27, the inquest heard. Bolland was named as being behind the damage and threats, and Ms Pearson was advised to ask the housing association to be moved. Ms Oldham did not discuss the visit with Ms Tighe as it was her last working day and Ms Tighe did not work Mondays.
The inquest earlier heard that Kyle Pearson claimed to social workers he believed he was under threat from Salford gang the A-Team, whose members had put money on his head. Last week, the court heard Ms Pearson told police she believed members of the gang had driven by her home a month before the attack.
Greater Manchester Police told the coroner that no intelligence was logged as there was 'no evidence to substantiate' the fears. The force had no intelligence linking Kyle to the gang and had not deemed it necessary to issue a 'threat to life' warning.
Risk assessment and missed opportunities
Ms Tighe told the hearing that the family had been visited and spoken to by a social worker, that the police did not regard the perceived A-Team threat as credible but planned to arrest Bolland, that a fire safety assessment had been done, and that Ms Pearson had started the process to move home.
Asked about the threats and criminal damage, Ms Tighe said: "It's a very difficult risk to analyse and try to understand, it's very difficult to evidence what's credible and what isn't. You are trying to piece together what's tangible and what isn't. I did not consider there was enough evidence to suggest she (Ms Pearson) must be moved immediately."
On December 7, another social worker visited Jackson Street, which 'provided reassurance', Ms Tighe said, as Ms Pearson did not say she felt unsafe. The following day, a child protection conference was held, after which its chairwoman, Lisa Hughes, emailed Ms Tighe: "I am extremely concerned about the risk to the children."
Ms Tighe responded: "Obviously, it's a worry, but all the professionals are worried about these children. I did not feel concerned by it because we all shared the concerns." Asked by Laura Nash, counsel to the inquest, if she did anything in response, Ms Tighe replied: "Not that I can recall. I did not have any immediate concerns for the safety."
On Saturday, December 9, Bolland visited the house again, setting Ms Pearson's wheelie bin on fire and spraying 'Grass' on the front wall. Two days later, Bolland and accomplice David Worrall, 28, carried out the fatal attack.
In 2018, Bolland and Worrall were each given four life sentences, with minimum terms of 40 and 37 years respectively. Bolland's girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, then 20, was jailed for 21 years for four counts of manslaughter. The inquest continues.
