Pair in arson attacks had been on firefighting 'insight' course

TWO teenage arsonists who started life-threatening blazes at four homes in Bradford had earlier been on a course aimed at careers as firefighters.

The schoolboys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, terrorised householders in the Holme Wood area of the city last February by lighting a series of fires over a 48-hour period.

Prosecutor Richard Gioserano revealed that the youngsters, aged 15 and 16 at the time, had earlier been on a course intended to give them an insight into potential careers as firefighters.

The younger boy was on police bail in connection with an arson attack at Tong High School when he started the other fires. During the first attack on February 6, mother Samina Hunkins was trapped in the lounge of her home in Heysham Drive along with two children after the duo poured petrol through the letterbox and set it alight.

The occupants were only saved when police officers John Kershaw and Shane Kenny smashed holes in the lounge window and pulled it out, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

On the same night the two firestarters also damaged two parked cars.

In the early hours of February 8 the duo attacked the home of 83-year-old widower William McHale as he slept in his bedroom with his Yorkshire terrier. The barking dog alerted him to the blaze at his home in Moorcroft Drive.

Mr McHale put his head out of a small window and screamed for help until neighbour Peter Ratcliffe used a ladder to reach him.

During the blaze the pensioner lost furniture, clothes and personal possessions including photographs of his late wife.

“He found that the insurance policy on the house had expired some three weeks before the fire so the cost of putting his home back together as best it could be was borne by his family and estimated at 20,000,” said Mr Gioserano.

Within minutes the fire service was called to another arson attack at the bungalow of wheelchair-user Joan Goodall, 53, who lived alone in Leamside Walk.

Mr Gioserano said the teenagers again poured petrol through the letterbox to start the fire and Mrs Goodall woke to find her hallway ablaze.

The arson spree continued with the teenagers setting fire to another parked car before they started another blaze at an occupied flat in Kesteven Road.

A couple and their three young children, including a three-month-old baby, were asleep in bed when their smoke alarm activated.

Thick smoke filled the home after the defendants had set fire to rubbish bags and an old cot outside the flat.

The family were led to safety by firefighters and police officers who also arrived on the scene noticed the two hanging round the scene of the blaze.

One officer recognised the younger boy because he was already on police bail in connection with an arson attack at Tong High School the month before.

The younger boy pleaded guilty to a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered in relation to the school blaze and went on to admit two more charges of reckless arson and two of arson with intent to endanger life in respect of the four house fires in February.

His co-accused admitted the same offences in relation to the house fires and the pair also pleaded guilty to three allegations of simple arson in respect of the three damaged cars.

When the younger boy was asked by police whether he wanted to be a firefighter he replied: “‘Yes’...because he liked to save people, look after people and make sure people were safe.

“He said he was one of the best on the course,” added Mr Gioserano.

The defendants, now 16, are to be sentenced today.