MUM DIED CLUTCHING PHOTO OF HER FOUR CHILDREN AFTER FATAL PETROL-BOMB ATTACK

Michelle Pearson survived the devastating fire that claimed the lives of her four children — but 20 months later, she died in hospital holding a photograph of the children she could never forget.

Michelle Pearson was just 37 when she died after suffering devastating injuries in a house fire that had already taken the lives of four of her children.

At the time of her death, an inquest heard, Michelle was still holding onto memories of the children she had lost.

She died in hospital clutching a photograph of her four children, with a crucifix in her hand.

The image was described during an inquest into her death, which is now examining the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and what happened in the weeks leading up to the fatal fire.

FOUR CHILDREN LOST IN THE FIRE

Michelle was the mother of six.

Her four children — Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia, three — died after a fire engulfed the family’s home on Jackson Street in Walkden, Greater Manchester, in December 2017.

Michelle survived the blaze but suffered catastrophic injuries.

She sustained burns to around 68 per cent of her body and spent approximately five months in a coma.

Despite the severity of her injuries, she continued to fight for her life.

But she ultimately died around 20 months after the fire.

The inquest into her death has now heard details of the final moments of a mother who had already endured an unimaginable loss.

“SHE CLUNG TO LIFE”

Bolton Coroner’s Court heard that Michelle remained seriously affected by the injuries she suffered in the blaze.

According to evidence presented at the hearing, she died in hospital while holding a photograph of her four children.

She was also holding a crucifix.

For her family, the detail has provided a heartbreaking picture of a mother whose final years were dominated by the loss of her children.

Her four children had been inside the family home when the fatal fire was started.

WARNINGS BEFORE THE FIRE

The inquest has also heard that Michelle had repeatedly expressed fears about the family’s safety in the period before the attack.

Her family home had reportedly been subjected to a series of incidents.

Windows were smashed.

A bin was set on fire.

Graffiti was daubed on the property.

Michelle’s mother, Sandra Lever, told the hearing that her daughter had become desperate to leave the house because of the escalating problems.

In a statement, Sandra described Michelle as being “beyond distressed.”

She said Michelle was not eating and that her children had become frightened of remaining in their home.

One of Michelle’s children, Brandon, had reportedly told his mother that he no longer wanted to live there.

Michelle had also approached her housing provider because she believed the family was in danger.

But the inquest heard that she was told she did not meet the criteria for emergency accommodation.

A NEIGHBOUR SAW WINDOWS BEING SMASHED

The court also heard evidence from neighbour Elaine Williams.

She said that, just weeks before the fatal fire, she had seen Zak Bolland smashing the windows of Michelle’s home with a hammer.

According to Williams, Michelle desperately wanted to move away from the property.

“She wanted to move from there,” the neighbour said, describing Michelle as being extremely distressed and worried.

The evidence has raised difficult questions about whether more could have been done to protect the family before the fatal attack.

Relatives have described the children’s deaths as potentially preventable and have raised concerns about what they believe were missed opportunities by authorities and other agencies.

THE FATAL ATTACK

The inquest heard that the fire was connected to a feud involving a series of retaliatory incidents.

Senior Coroner Timothy Brennand told the hearing that a judge at the murder trial had determined that a sequence of tit-for-tat attacks had taken place in the period before the fatal fire.

However, the exact origins of the dispute had never been publicly established, the court heard.

On the night of the fatal attack, Bolland and David Worrall prepared two petrol bombs.

One was made using a large clear bottle, while the other was made from a beer bottle.

The inquest heard that Worrall smashed a rear window and threw one device into the property.

It ignited, but the fire initially remained limited.

Bolland then threw another petrol bomb.

That device reportedly exploded with considerable force, causing flames to engulf the house.

Four of Michelle’s children died as a result.

THE MEN WERE SENTENCED TO LIFE

Bolland and Worrall were subsequently convicted of murder.

Both men were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018.

Bolland was ordered to serve a minimum of 40 years, while Worrall was given a minimum term of 37 years.

Bolland’s girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, was also convicted in connection with the children’s deaths.

She was sentenced to 21 years in prison after being convicted of four counts of manslaughter.

The convictions brought a legal conclusion to the criminal case, but for Michelle’s family, the tragedy did not end there.

A MOTHER WHO NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING

Michelle had survived a fire that killed four of her children.

She endured severe burns, spent months in a coma and lived with the physical and emotional consequences of the tragedy.

But the memories of Demi, Brandon, Lacie and Lia remained with her.

When she finally died in hospital, she was holding their photograph.

Her family now wants answers about the events that preceded the fire and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.

The inquest continues as evidence is examined about Michelle’s warnings, the family’s fears and the circumstances surrounding the attack.

For those closest to Michelle, however, the central story remains painfully simple.

She was a mother who lost four children — and until the end, she carried their memory with her.