A mother-of-six passed away in hospital clutching a photograph of four of her children who had been killed in a petrol bomb attack on their home almost two years earlier, an inquest heard today (October 5).
Michelle Pearson's family also wrapped a crucifix around her hand as she died following a 'lengthy and courageous' fight, 21 months after her children's deaths, the Manchester Evening News reports.
"We know that she is back with her children," said a family statement read out at the inquest. The tragedy in Walkden, Salford, in December 2017 is now the subject of an inquest hearing, which commenced on Monday at Bolton Coroner's Court. The inquest will examine threats to life and how state agencies responded.
Family's plea for rehousing
In a statement, Ms Pearson's family revealed how she was 'pleading with' Salford Council to rehome her in the weeks preceding the arson attack. They said she was 'beyond stressed' by what was described as a 'tit-for-tat feud' that escalated and ultimately ended in tragedy.
Her children, the family said, were 'petrified' of living at the property on Jackson Street. Four members of the Pearson family - Demi, 14; Brandon, eight; Lacie, seven; and Lia, three - lost their lives after petrol bombs were thrown at the house in the early hours of December 11, 2017.
Their mother, Ms Pearson, survived the attack but died aged 37 nearly two years later, having sustained severe burns and spent months in a coma. Zak Bolland and David Worrall, then aged 23 and 25, were handed life sentences and told they must serve minimum terms of 40 and 37 years respectively following their convictions for the children's murders in May 2018.
Bolland's girlfriend at the time, Courtney Brierley, who had remained in a vehicle nearby while the attack unfolded, was imprisoned for 21 years for manslaughter. Bolland and Worrall were subsequently found guilty of Michelle's murder at a further trial in 2021. Brierley admitted manslaughter and was given an additional 12-year sentence to run concurrently.
Inquest examines state response
Senior coroner Timothy Brennand, commencing the inquest scheduled to run for eight weeks, recited the sentencing observations of the trial judge, Mr Justice William Davis, to begin proceedings. The inquest was told Mr Justice Davis referenced a dispute 'between some members of the Pearson family and Zac Bolland and Courtney Brierley'. "What lay behind the feud has never been made public," he stated.
The inquest heard evidence of vehicles being vandalised and Bolland shattering windows at the Pearson residence with a hammer. Bolland was also reported to have 'threatened to use fire' against the property. Both police and the fire service, who secured her letterbox, became involved, with Mr Justice Davies outlining a 'flurry of tit-for-tat attacks'. Ms Pearson subsequently became branded a 'grass', a term which was spray-painted across the walls of her home.
A wheelie bin positioned in the front garden was also set ablaze. Mr Justice Davies spoke of 'a series of relatively trivial incidents gradually increasing in seriousness which had no conceivable justification, but which could and should have gone no further' in his sentencing remarks.
Attack details and tributes
Having consumed alcohol and cocaine, Bolland and Worrall arrived at the Pearson family home in the early hours, armed with an axe and a machete. The inquest heard that the pair had fashioned two petrol bombs — one from a large clear bottle and another from a beer bottle. Worrall shattered a rear window and hurled one inside, which ignited 'but only to a limited extent'. Bolland's petrol bomb 'exploded with considerable force', and the resulting inferno engulfed the entire house.
"The defendants must have known that they had been responsible for setting on fire an occupied house yet they behaved as if nothing had happened," said the trial judge in her sentencing remarks.
The fire, the inquest heard, was 'swift and deadly'. Coroner Mr Brennand confirmed that a homicide investigation was launched, ultimately leading to convictions. He stated that the inquest would look to establish whether there was 'any predictable threat to life' and 'what could or should have been done that might have prevented these deaths'.
Mr Brennand added that it would assess and scrutinise 'how state agencies worked together' to manage any risk following Ms Pearson's reports. "The family are at the heart of this process," he said. "The intention is to give the family a voice". Family 'pen portraits' of the children were read out.
Demi was described as a 'happy and smiley child with a heart of gold'. She was discovered near a bunk bed and pronounced dead at the scene. Brandon was the 'brainbox' of the family who was said to have an 'amazing vocabulary'. "His favourite word was putrid," the family said. He was known to pick flowers from the park and had a deep love for the Beatles. Lacie loved to dance and was 'a YouTube star in the making', the family said, also paying tribute to Lia as having a 'cheeky laugh and a smile that would melt your heart'. Lia passed away two days later in hospital.
