‘Firebug killed family of 5 after pushchair row’
A YOUNG family of five were killed in a blaze started by a jealous neighbour who was angered by their pushchair in the communal hall, a court heard yesterday.
Liam Timbrell, 23, was heard on a 999 call screaming, “Oh my God, we’re going to die,” as flames ripped through the shared semi in Prestatyn, north Wales, the jury was told.
Mother-of-two Melanie Smith, 43, had set fire to the pushchair by the door to her neighbours’ upstairs flat, Mold Crown Court heard.
Mr Timbrell died in the fire with Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, and their 15-month-old son Charlie.
The other victims were Ms Shiers’s niece Skye Allen, two, and four-year-old nephew Bailey Allen.
The court heard that a dying Mr Timbrell asked a paramedic: “Are the babies okay? It was arson. Mel. It was Mel from the downstairs flat.”
Prosecutor Ian Murphy, QC, said Smith had wrongly accused her boyfriend Steven Clarkson of an affair with Ms Shiers.
“The fire was deliberately started by the defendant who had been drinking heavily and over a period of two months had demonstrated anger, hostility and jealousy towards Lee-Anna,” he added.
“Smith was particularly angry with Lee-Anna’s habit of leaving the pushchair in the hall and being noisy.
“This pushchair was deliberately ignited shortly before 10pm on Friday October 19 and a devastating fire rushed up the stairs to the flat above and killed all those inside.
“Not only were Lee-Anna, Liam and Charlie upstairs but so too were two young relatives staying the night.” Six days before the fire Smith was allegedly overheard in a pub yelling at Mr Clarkson: “You’re s******* the woman upstairs. I will burn the house down with her and the kids in it.”
On the day of the blaze, added Mr Murphy, Smith complained about the pram to a bar worker, saying she kept “falling over it”.
Ms Shiers, Skye and Bailey were pronounced dead in hospital on the night of the fire and Charlie died two days later. All four suffered smoke inhalation and burns. McDonald’s restaurant worker Mr Timbrell died at a burns unit on November 5.
Smith denies five counts of murder and one of threatening to damage property. The trial continues.