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

Michelle Pearson suffered devastating burns after a petrol bomb attack killed four of her children. Twenty months later, she died in hospital holding a photograph of the children she could never forget.

A mother who survived a horrific firebomb attack that killed four of her children eventually died in hospital clutching a photograph of them and holding a crucifix, an inquest has heard.

Michelle Pearson, 37, was left with burns covering around 68 per cent of her body after a petrol bomb was thrown into her family home in Walkden, Greater Manchester, in December 2017.

Her four children — Demi, 15, Brandon, 8, Lacie, 7, and Lia, 3 — died in the blaze.

Michelle survived the initial attack but spent around five months in a coma and suffered devastating physical and psychological injuries.

She died on August 25, 2019, around 20 months after the fire.

At the time of her death, her family placed a crucifix in her hand and a photograph of her four children around her.

THE CHILDREN WHO WERE “PETRIFIED”

The ongoing inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court has heard harrowing evidence about the family’s final weeks before the fire.

Michelle had repeatedly told people that she did not feel safe living at the property on Jackson Street.

The family home had reportedly been targeted by a series of incidents, including smashed windows, a wheelie bin being set alight and graffiti being sprayed on the walls.

Michelle’s mother, Sandra Lever, told the inquest that her daughter was desperate to leave the property.

She said Michelle was “beyond distressed” and that the children were frightened to remain in their home.

The hearing was told that the children were suffering nightmares and that Brandon had told his mother that he no longer wanted to live there.

Michelle had approached her housing provider because she believed her family was in danger, but the family was reportedly told that she did not meet the criteria for emergency accommodation.

A NEIGHBOUR SAW THE WINDOWS BEING SMASHED

The inquest has also heard evidence from neighbour Elaine Williams.

She told the court that she had seen Zak Bolland smashing the windows of Michelle’s home with a hammer several weeks before the fatal fire.

According to Williams, Michelle wanted to move away from the property and was increasingly frightened by what was happening.

“She wanted to move from there,” Williams told the hearing, describing Michelle as being at “her wits’ end.”

The evidence has formed part of wider questions being examined by the inquest about whether more could have been done to protect the family before the fatal attack.

POLICE HAD BEEN WARNED ABOUT A FIREBOMB THREAT

Further evidence heard during the inquest has raised serious questions about the response to earlier incidents.

The court was told that after Bolland was accused of smashing Michelle’s windows on November 26, 2017, he allegedly sent her text messages demanding £500 and threatening to petrol bomb the house.

A police officer told the inquest that, “in an ideal world,” Bolland should have been arrested after the threat.

However, he was later released after giving a short “no comment” interview.

The court heard that the earlier investigation was closed with no further action, and that some potential lines of inquiry were not followed up at the time.

The inquest is now examining the decisions made by different agencies in the period leading up to the fatal attack.

THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE

On December 11, 2017, Bolland and David Worrall carried out the fatal attack using petrol bombs.

The court heard that one petrol bomb was thrown through a rear window.

A second petrol bomb was then thrown into the property and caused a much more serious fire, with flames spreading through the house.

The blaze trapped the family upstairs.

Demi, Brandon, Lacie and Lia were unable to escape and all four children died.

Michelle suffered catastrophic burns.

The attack became one of the most devastating family tragedies in Greater Manchester.

THE MEN BEHIND THE ATTACK

Bolland and Worrall were subsequently convicted of the children’s murders and were both sentenced to life imprisonment.

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

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

The court heard that the attack had followed an escalating feud, although the precise origins of the dispute were not made public during the original proceedings.

MICHELLE CLUNG TO LIFE

Despite the extent of her injuries, Michelle survived the fire.

She spent months in a coma and continued to suffer from the consequences of her burns.

Her family said she was devastated by the loss of her children.

The inquest heard that Michelle had not initially been aware that all four children had died.

After eventually learning the truth, her mental and physical condition deteriorated.

She continued to live with the consequences of the attack until her death in 2019.

Her family now hopes the inquest will provide answers about what happened before the fire and whether opportunities to protect Michelle and her children were missed.

“WHAT IF?”

Senior coroner Timothy Brennand said the inquest would give the Pearson family an opportunity to have their concerns examined.

The family has raised questions about the actions of police, housing authorities and other agencies that had contact with Michelle before the attack.

Their concerns have centred on whether the family’s repeated warnings were properly acted upon.

The inquest is not a retrial of those already convicted.

Instead, it is examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the events that preceded them.

The proceedings are expected to last around eight weeks.

A MOTHER WHO NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER CHILDREN

Family members have described Michelle as a devoted mother who read bedtime stories to her children every night.

Demi was remembered as a happy, smiling teenager who was especially close to her mother.

Brandon was described as having an infectious smile and being a “mummy’s boy”.

Lacie was remembered as a little “diva”, while Lia was described as a lively child with a cheeky laugh.

Their family said all four children had bright futures ahead of them.

For Michelle, however, those futures ended in one terrible night.

She survived the fire, but she never escaped the pain of losing her children.

When she finally died nearly two years later, she was holding the photograph of the four children she had spent the rest of her life grieving.

Her family placed a crucifix in her hand.

And, in a final heartbreaking image, Michelle Pearson died with her children close to her.

Her family later said they believed she was finally “back with her children and out of pain.”

THE INQUEST CONTINUES

The inquest into Michelle Pearson and her four children remains ongoing.

As evidence continues to be heard, the proceedings are examining not only the events of the night of the fire, but also the warnings, decisions and missed opportunities that came before it.

For Michelle’s surviving family, the central question remains painfully simple:

Could anything have been done to save them?

Almost nine years after the fire, they are still waiting for answers.