A son whose mother and four siblings tragically died in a house fire caused by petrol bombs had tried in vain to save his family, a court heard.
Kyle Pearson lost his mother Michelle Pearson, 37, and siblings Demi, 15, Brandon, 8, Lacie, 7, and Lia, 3, in the blaze in Salford, Greater Manchester, on December 11, 2017.
Zak Bolland, 26, and David Worrall, 28, both deny murdering Michelle Pearson, who died in August 2019 after succumbing to her burn injuries, the Manchester Evening News reports.
They have appeared at Manchester Crown Court accused of murdering Ms Pearson after they allegedly threw two petrol bombs into her house just before 5am.
Jurors were told Bolland and Worrall “denied their guilt” in the killing of her kids but were both convicted of their murder.
Prosecutor Paul Reid QC told jurors: “The prosecution invite you to come to the same conclusion as the jury in 2018, namely that Bolland and Worrall threw petrol bombs into the house, knowing that it was occupied intending to cause death or really serious harm.
“For doing that, Bolland and Worrall are guilty of the murder of Michelle Pearson just as they were found guilty of the murders of her four children.”
The court heard how devastated Kyle Pearson woke up his friend Bobby Harris and they both climbed out of a window to escape the inferno.
As he escaped through the window he saw his sister Demi come to her bedroom window.
Kyle’s immediate thought was to get back into the house to try and save other members of his family, jurors are heard.
But he was unable to get back into the house.
Mr Reid said it was a “tragic irony” that it now provided an “insurmountable barrier” stopping him from getting back into the house.
Jurors were told there was a “continuing feud” between Zak Bolland and Kyle and other members of the Pearson family.
Prior to the fire, windows at the Pearson house on Jackson Street had been smashed by Zak Bolland, jurors are told.
While a wheelie bin had been set alight in the garden on December 9, a few days before the incident on December 11, 2017.
On December 11, Bolland and Worrall went to the back of the Pearson house on Jackson Street and had “homemade petrol bombs”, prosecutors say.
The two men then allegedly removed a fence panel to gain access, smashed a kitchen window and threw two petrol bombs into the house, the court heard.
Bolland later contacted Ms Pearson, who told him that the car fire had nothing to do with her son.
Mr Reid describes a number of “tit for tat” incidents that followed.
On the night of the tragic fire, Ms Pearson was woken up by one of her daughters and noticed the men, recognising Bolland.
Bolland was “threatening violence: and said he was ‘going to do your house’, jurors were told.
He demanded that the two older Pearson children came outside.
Ms Pearson denied either was there.
Kyle claimed he heard Bolland shout that he was going to “kill us all”.
The men left and Ms Pearson called the police.
Officers arrived later and she made a statement, and she and the children went back to bed.
Bolland denied murder and said he is only guilty of the manslaughter of Ms Pearson.
He admitted making the petrol bombs and being involved in throwing them but claimed he only meant to damage the house and didn’t know that there was anyone inside.
Jurors are told Worrall denied murder but said he is guilty of manslaughter.
Worrall said he didn’t know why Bolland wanted petrol, and denies being involved in making the petrol bombs.
He said he thought Bolland was going to set fire to a wheelie bin, jurors heard.
The trial continues.