SHE DIED CLUTCHING A PHOTO OF HER FOUR CHILDREN — MUM’S FINAL MOMENTS REVEALED AT INQUEST

Michelle Pearson survived the devastating fire that took the lives of four of her children. Nearly two years later, she died in hospital with their photograph beside her and a crucifix in her hand.

Michelle Pearson never stopped fighting to survive.

The mother-of-six suffered catastrophic injuries when her family home in Walkden, Greater Manchester, was deliberately set alight in December 2017.

The fire claimed the lives of four of her children — Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia, three.

Michelle survived.

But she would spend the next 20 months battling the devastating injuries she suffered that night.

Now, a new inquest has heard the heartbreaking details of her final moments — including how she died in hospital with a photograph of the children she had lost close to her.

A MOTHER WHO COULD NOT SAVE HER CHILDREN

The fire erupted at the Pearson family home on Jackson Street in Walkden during the early hours of December 11, 2017.

Petrol bombs had been thrown into the house.

The resulting blaze rapidly spread through the property, trapping the family upstairs.

Michelle suffered burns to around 68 per cent of her body.

She survived the initial attack but was left with devastating injuries and spent months in a coma.

Her youngest daughter, Lia, died in hospital two days after the fire.

The other three children died at the scene.

For Michelle, the physical injuries were only part of the nightmare.

She had lost four of her children in a matter of minutes.

HER FINAL MOMENTS WERE FILLED WITH THEIR MEMORY

At Bolton Coroner’s Court, the inquest heard that Michelle eventually died in hospital on August 25, 2019, almost two years after the attack.

Her family placed a photograph of her four children in her hand.

A crucifix was also wrapped around it.

A statement from the family described Michelle’s final battle as a “lengthy and courageous” fight.

They said:

“We know that she is back with her children.”

It was a heartbreaking final image of a mother who had spent the last years of her life carrying the loss of her children.

SHE HAD WARNED PEOPLE THAT SHE WAS AFRAID

The current inquest is examining much more than the circumstances of Michelle’s death.

It is also looking at whether opportunities existed to protect the family before the fatal fire.

In the weeks before the attack, Michelle had reportedly told police she did not feel safe.

The family home had already been targeted.

Windows were smashed.

A bin was set alight.

Graffiti was painted on the property.

Michelle’s mother, Sandra Lever, told the inquest that her daughter desperately wanted to move because the family was living in fear.

Her children were reportedly having nightmares, and her son Brandon had told her that he did not want to live in the house anymore.

The family has raised concerns about “missed opportunities” by agencies that may have been able to intervene.

A FEUD THAT ESCALATED

The coroner told the hearing that a judge at the later murder trial had described a series of escalating tit-for-tat attacks between the Pearson family and those responsible for the fire.

Exactly what started the dispute has never been made public, the inquest heard.

But what began with relatively minor incidents escalated dramatically.

The court heard that Zak Bolland had previously smashed windows at the Pearson home.

Police were involved.

Michelle had sought help.

Yet the attacks continued.

On the night of December 11, Bolland and David Worrall arrived at the property and threw petrol bombs into the house.

One of the devices exploded with considerable force, causing the devastating blaze.

THE MEN RESPONSIBLE WERE CONVICTED

Bolland and Worrall were later convicted of murdering the four Pearson children.

They were both given life sentences, with minimum terms of 40 years and 37 years respectively.

Bolland’s then-girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, was sentenced to 21 years after being convicted of four counts of manslaughter.

The legal consequences, however, could never undo what happened inside the Pearson family home.

Four children were gone.

And their mother would spend the remainder of her life carrying that loss.

WHO WERE THE CHILDREN?

At the inquest, the family shared memories of the four children beyond the tragedy that made headlines.

Demi was remembered as a happy, smiley girl with a heart of gold.

Brandon was described as the family’s “brainbox,” with an impressive vocabulary and a love of picking flowers and listening to The Beatles.

Lacie loved dancing and was remembered as a child with a bright personality.

And little Lia was remembered for her cheeky laugh and a smile that could melt hearts.

They were not simply four names in a devastating news story.

They were four children with personalities, dreams and families who loved them.

THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN

The eight-week inquest is now examining whether the deaths could have been prevented and whether agencies properly responded to the warnings surrounding the family.

The coroner said the process would consider “what could or should have been done” and how different agencies worked together to assess the danger facing Michelle and her children.

For Michelle’s family, those questions have arrived nearly nine years after the fire.

But the photograph she held at the end of her life tells its own story.

Even after 20 months of unimaginable pain, the four children she had lost were still with her.

A mother who could not bring her children home spent her final moments holding onto their memory.

And now, her family hopes the inquest will finally provide answers about whether anything could have been done to prevent the tragedy that changed their lives forever. 💔