Police Could Have Arrested Arson Killer Hours Before Attack, Inquest Hears

An inquest has heard that the killer responsible for murdering a mother and her four children in a 2017 arson attack could have been arrested by police hours before the incident. Michelle Pearson, 37, died in August 2019, more than a year and a half after her children—Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia, three—perished in a house fire in Salford.

Bolton Coroner's Court was told that Zak Bolland, who was feuding with Ms. Pearson's son, had previously threatened the family, vandalized their home, and set a wheelie bin on fire. On December 11, 2017, around 12:40 a.m., Bolland and associates again attacked the home, leading Ms. Pearson to call the police. Probationary officer PC Mick Grundy and his colleague PC Gemma Quinn took a statement from her and left the property around 3:20 a.m. They returned to the station to complete paperwork and did not immediately attempt to arrest Bolland, who was believed to be at his home nearby. Bolland returned to the street shortly before 5 a.m. with accomplice David Worrall and threw petrol bombs into the house, igniting a blaze that trapped the family.

During the inquest, Anna Morris KC, representing the Pearson family, questioned PC Grundy, who acknowledged that an arrest could have been made that night given the available information. He stated, "I did not think about him coming back and doing what he did." The family received only a crime reference number via text message, and no further safety measures were implemented that night, according to the officer.

The inquest also examined a prior incident two days before the fatal attack. Ms. Pearson had reported her wheelie bin being set on fire and her house spray-painted with the word "Grass." She identified Bolland as the perpetrator, who had previously broken her windows and threatened to firebomb her home. PC Andrew O'Donnell told the hearing that Ms. Pearson had not directly witnessed Bolland committing the acts. Following house-to-house inquiries that yielded no witnesses or CCTV, the officer concluded the case was closed the same day.

Counsel for the inquest, Laura Nash, questioned the "professional curiosity" of officers in linking Bolland to the escalating threats. PC O'Donnell maintained that his inquiries were "reasonable and proportionate" for what was considered a low-level crime at the time, which did not warrant crime scene investigators. He stated that an arrest would require evidence placing Bolland at the scene, a point also emphasized by PC Grundy.

Sophie Cartwright KC suggested that basic policing would have involved checking Bolland's CCTV or investigating potential evidence on his clothing. PC O'Donnell replied that without direct evidence of his presence, such actions would not have been taken.

Senior coroner Timothy Brennand asked PC O'Donnell if he had reflected on what could have been done differently, given that Bolland would commit murder 48 hours later. The officer responded that he had done everything he could at the time.

In 2018, Zak Bolland and David Worrall were sentenced to life imprisonment for the petrol bombing, with minimum terms of 40 and 37 years, respectively. Bolland's girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, received a 21-year sentence for four counts of manslaughter. Court documents revealed that Ms. Pearson had contacted the police at least five times in the two weeks preceding the firebombing, pleading to be rehoused. The inquest is ongoing.