Firebomb killer was released by police despite warning

A man who murdered a mother and her four children in a firebomb attack had been arrested and released by police a fortnight before, despite a judge having told him he was on his "last chance", an inquest has heard.

Zak Bolland, 26, left a police station after giving a 12-minute "no comment" interview for breaking windows at the home of Michelle Pearson, 37, and her young family in Walkden, Salford, Greater Manchester, on 26 November 2017.

Bolland's record was not checked at the time and he was told no further action would be taken, Bolton Coroner's Court heard.

Thirteen days later he petrol bombed the house, killing the children and severely burning their mother, who died 20 months later.

Demi, 15, her brother Brandon, eight, and seven-year-old sister Lacie, who were sleeping in a front bedroom, all died in the blaze.

Michelle suffered 68% burns to her body and "clung on to life" until she died on 25 August 2019.

On the second day of an eight-week inquest, police who had been involved with the family before the fatal attack were questioned.

PC John Worthington of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) told the inquest he went to the house after the windows were smashed and Bolland was named as the culprit.

Back at the police station he wrongly completed paperwork saying house-to-house inquiries had been completed, when in fact he had only spoken to a passer-by, the inquest heard.

Worthington was also questioned about why CCTV or forensic opportunities to investigate the windows being smashed were not followed up.

He said he was told by another officer that Michelle did not support any prosecution – which was not correct.

The same day Bolland sent text messages to her threatening he would firebomb her house, a threat the police paperwork said "should be taken seriously" – but Worthington said he was not aware of that information either.

Two days later, Worthington interviewed Bolland under caution after he surrendered himself to a local police station.

Bolland, accompanied by a solicitor, gave no comment to questions and Worthington said he could not remember if he asked for his phone to check for the alleged firebombing threats.

Worthinton told the court another officer told him Michelle, the key witness, was unwilling to go to court to prosecute Bolland, so no further action was taken.

Worthington told the court, "back then" some crimes, "would just get closed."

Sophie Cartwright KC, representing Salford City Council, said Bolland was already serving a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving and taking a vehicle without consent when he attacked the family's home.

Bolland had breached the suspension and been given a "last chance" by a judge on 10 November – a month before the fatal arson attack.

The inquest heard Bolland's previous conviction history and suspended sentence had not been checked when he was interviewed by police.

The decision to not take action against Bolland had left Michelle "horrified", but he returned to her home gloating, calling her a "grass" and a "rat."

She again called police and told them they had got it wrong and that she would support a prosecution.

But the inquest heard the decision to not to prosecute Bolland was not reviewed by anyone at GMP.

In 2018 Bolland and his accomplice David Worrall, 28, were both given four life sentences and told they would serve a minimum of 40 and 37 years respectively for the petrol bombing.

Bolland's girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, 20, was jailed for 21 years for four counts of manslaughter.

Their trial heard attacks on her home arose out of an escalating feud between Bolland and one of her sons.

She had called police on at least five occasions in the two weeks before the firebombing and had begged to be re-housed.

The inquest continues.

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