Michelle Pearson, a victim of a firebomb attack, was left 'crying in pain' in the back of an ambulance for 'more than three hours' while consultants at two hospitals argued over who should treat her, an inquest has heard.
The family of Ms Pearson, who died from her injuries in 2019, has raised concerns about the care she received after the arson attack in December 2017. At an inquest into her death and the deaths of four of her children, her loved ones described the way she was transferred to hospital before her death as 'absolutely disgraceful'.
Background of the attack
Zak Bolland and accomplice David Worrall attacked the Pearson family home in Salford with petrol bombs at around 5am on December 11, 2017. The resulting blaze claimed the lives of Michelle's children Demi, 15; Brandon, eight; Lacie, seven, and Lia, three. The mother survived but suffered 68 per cent burns and died of her injuries 20 months later, on August 25, 2019.
An inquest into the five deaths is ongoing at Bolton Coroners' Court. On Tuesday, the court was told Michelle spent 15 months on the specialist burns unit at Wythenshawe Hospital. After a couple of weeks, she slowly began to wake from an induced coma.
Family's account of Michelle's suffering
Some 47 days after the arson attack, her family gave her the heartbreaking news about the death of her children. Michelle, the court heard, was 'absolutely distraught', asking: "Where are my kids?" She kept 'zoning out', her loved ones said. The following day, she again asked 'where are my kids?' The family had to break the news again, and they said they had to re-tell her the bad news 'every day' for a number of weeks as she 'couldn't recollect' the conversation.
On one occasion, Michelle asked if the fire was an accident. When she was told no, she asked "Was it Zak?" She became 'hysterically upset' and was 'immensely heartbroken' when she was told he was responsible. Michelle would cry and tell nurses 'he killed my babies'.
Michelle was told a few weeks before the children's funerals that if she attended 'it would kill her'. The hospital arranged a private funeral a couple of days beforehand at the hospital chaplaincy, so Michelle could say goodbye. "Michelle was heartbroken to see her children for the first time in their little coffins," her family said in a statement read in court. "The last time she seen them was when she was putting them to bed on the fatal night of the fire."
Concerns over care home transfer
Michelle's sister Claire Pearson said staff at Wythenshawe Hospital were 'great'; that she was 'really supported'; and that they 'didn't have any particular concerns about her time there'. The court heard that on March 11, 2019, she was discharged from the hospital to 3L Care, a specialist residential nursing care home in Atherton, Wigan.
Claire said the family 'didn't feel she was ready' to leave hospital and 'weren't really involved in any discussions around which care home was right for Michelle'. She said they learned she was to be moved a couple of weeks beforehand and carried out their own research. Claire said their suggestion of a facility in London was rejected due to 'limits on funding'.
Michelle, the family said, was 'simply told' she would be transferred to 3L, which Claire said she didn't believe was an 'appropriate placement'. She said it looked to them like a respite centre, with other users appearing to be elderly or disabled. The family 'didn't feel like it was a rehabilitation unit equipped to deal with a burns victim with complex physical and mental health needs'.
Claire said there was a 'dramatic change' in her sister's care, having 'gone from having 24/7 specialist burns care in hospital to having no nursing care'. The family claimed there was a 'lack of equipment' at the home. Claire said the family 'raised a number of issues from the outset at 3L', including Michelle's specialist mattress repeatedly becoming deflated; not having her Flowtron boots, which help stimulate blood flow; and a lack of specialist clothing.
She said she did not believe Michelle received adequate mental health support, adding: "We are of the view that the trauma and psychological impact Michelle was experiencing wasn't addressed. Michelle had lost her children, been a victim of the most terrible event and had sustained life-changing injuries. She was in excruciating pain every single day, not only physically but also mentally."
Hospital dispute and final days
On May 21, 2019, Michelle rang a family member 'distressed and really upset', the inquest heard. Two family members arrived at the home to discover an ambulance had been called. They said they were told the home would 'no longer care for her needs as they were unable to'. Paramedics made a call to determine whether it was best to take Michelle to Salford Royal or Wythenshawe Hospital.
A letter written by her family - while she was still alive - detailed their concerns to all parties involved in her care. It read: "Neither hospital wanted to take Michelle. Salford thought it would be best to take her to Wythenshawe and vice versa." Michelle was left in the back of the ambulance 'distressed, upset and crying in pain' while hospital consultants 'argued over who was taking her', the family said.
Claire said her sister was in the ambulance for 'over three hours' before Salford Royal agreed to admit her. She remained there until June 19, 2019, before she was transferred to Wythenshawe. In their letter, written while she was still at Salford, Michelle's family said she had 'suffered enough' and that the incident was 'absolutely disgraceful'; 'unprofessional'; and showed a 'complete neglect of care'. The family said Michelle was aware of the 'conflict between hospitals' and that it had left her 'crying and confused' as to 'why no one will treat her or look after her'.
Claire said Michelle was 'happy with her care at Salford', but that the family didn't staff they could 'meet her complex needs' and that they believed she should have been taken to Wythenshawe 'straight away'. She said there was a 'significant deterioration' in Michelle's condition before her death at Wythenshawe Hospital on August 25, 2019. Michelle passed away holding a picture of her children.
Senior coroner Timothy Brennand said he planned to send copies of the family's statements to the parole board - which will be responsible for decisions on the release of Bolland, Worrall, and Brierley - so that in 'many years' time', the 'profound and egregious pain and suffering' Michelle and her family had could be made clear to them.
Zak Bolland and David Worrall, then aged 23 and 25, were imprisoned for life and ordered to serve minimum terms of 40 and 37 years respectively following their conviction for the murders of the children in May 2018. Bolland's then girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, who had remained in a nearby car while the attack took place, was jailed for 21 years for manslaughter. Bolland and Worrall were also found guilty of Michelle's murder at a separate trial in 2021. Brierley admitted manslaughter and received an additional, concurrent, 12-year sentence.
