Andrew Gorrell, a 55-year-old alcoholic with a history of arson, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years on Monday, July 6, for the murder of 82-year-old John Edwards. Gorrell set fire to a wheelie bin and deliberately placed it against the front door of a terraced home in Moway Buildings on Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, on May 11 last year, blocking the exit of the sleeping family inside.
Attack and Victims
The blaze killed John Edwards, a great-grandfather, and injured his wife Doreen, then 81, and their adult sons Carl, then 60, and Mark, then 57. All four were rushed to hospital, but Edwards died two weeks later from his injuries. Gorrell, who had traveled 70 miles from his home in Saltney, Flintshire, on the English-Welsh border, had no connection to the area or the victims, leaving detectives unable to establish a motive.
During the attack, Gorrell wore a T-shirt bearing the words 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' referencing the horror film in which the character Freddy Krueger is burnt alive. The court heard that Gorrell had an 'interest in fires' and had prior convictions for arson dating back to 1990.
Trial and Conviction
Gorrell denied murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. He also denied arson with intent to endanger life but admitted an alternative count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. After a trial, a jury unanimously convicted him of all charges in February, deliberating for three hours and 27 minutes. He had also admitted an alternative charge of manslaughter, but the Crown did not accept the plea.
Additionally, Gorrell pleaded guilty to three counts of arson for separate bin fires he set in Wednesbury in the hours after the fatal fire—near the Lord Nelson pub, outside Amigos Pizza, and in The Shambles.
Sentencing Remarks
Sentencing, Judge Michael Chambers KC described the crime as a 'living nightmare' and 'evil and random.' He stated, 'I'm not satisfied that there is much remorse or regret in relation to what happened.' The judge noted that while there was 'insufficient evidence' to prove Gorrell intended to cause really serious harm or death when he left home, the act of setting the fire and moving the bin to block the door made it 'likely that the house was going to catch fire particularly quickly' and impeded escape.
Judge Chambers called Gorrell a 'highly dangerous individual' but left it to the Parole Board to assess his risk to the public.
Prosecution and Defense
Prosecutor Rachel Brand KC argued that 'all the evidence points to the lighting of the fire being an impulsive act,' noting that Gorrell's later bin fires were also impulsive. Defense counsel Michael Duck KC said Gorrell wished to apologize to the Edwards family, adding, 'Tragically, in recent years, it seems that alcohol has taken its toll.' The defense maintained the act was spontaneous.
Fire investigators ruled out any accidental cause, determining the fire was started by ignition of the wheelie bin's contents. Brand previously highlighted that Gorrell 'did not alert anyone to the fire' and walked away, leaving it to spread and engulf the front of the house.
