Man accused of murdering pensioner in Wednesbury house fire 'was seen in the vicinity of the property'
A man who is accused of the murder of a pensioner in a house fire in Wednesbury was seen in the vicinity of the property, a court has heard.
Wolverhampton Crown Court was played CCTV footage captured in and around Wednesbury in the early hours of May 11 last year.
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John Edwards, aged 82 died of severe burns after the blaze at a property in Holyhead Road on the same day and his wife Doreen and son Mark were badly injured.
Andrew Gorrell, aged 54, of Saltney in Flintshire, Wales, denies the murder of Mr Edwards and also denies the attempted murders of Mrs Edwards, Carl Edwards and Mark Edwards. He has admitted a lesser charge of manslaughter against John Edwards.
He also denies two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, as well as arson with intent to endanger life, but has pleaded guilty to arson reckless as to whether lives would be endangered.
Prosecutors says he travelled 70 miles to the West Midlands and set a wheelie bin alight before 'deliberately' moving it to 'block' the front door of the property where Mr Edwards lived with his family
Under cross examination by Rachel Brand KC, Detective Constable Graham Kirk who was part of the homicide team said they had obtained 200 hours of footage from cameras in and around Wednesbury in the early hours of May 11 last year
DC Kirk answered questions on the footage which showed Gorrell at Wolverhampton Railway Station carrying a WH Smith branded carrier bag and talking to a member of staff before boarding a tram to Wednesbury Parkway, arriving at around 12.40am.
He was seen leaving Wednesbury Parkway with the same bag and making his way along Dudley Street from the Steel Roundabout to Holyhead Road where the prosecution say he was seen in the grounds of a care home at around 1.15am before being told by a staff member to move on.
Gorrell could then be seen on the CCTV footage leaving the care home driveway some three minutes later and continuing along Holyhead Road.
He then made his way up a vehicle access path of a primary school in Holyhead Road and then walking up a path between two houses before moving towards another, then back towards one of the initial houses he approached.
DC Kirk confirmed he was then seen bending down in the street, followed by a flash of light near his face which the police officer said was consistent with lighting a cigarette - something he repeated moments later.
He was then seen emerging again and moving in the direction of a covered entry between two homes on Holyhead Road, one of which was partly obscured by a bush in front of the property.
DC Kirk said he then moved 'backwards and forwards' between that location and behind a bush.
The case at Wolverhampton Crown Court continues.
