Murder trial of men accused of starting Wolverhampton house fire which killed man and badly injured four others begins
The trial of two men accused of starting a house fire which killed a Wolverhampton man and seriously injured four members of his family starts today (April 30).
The community was left in shock after the blaze tore through a house in Plascom Road, East Park, in the early hours of June 25 last year.
Akashdeep Singh, 26, was trapped upstairs in the house with his mother and one of his brothers when the fire started. He suffered smoke inhalation and burns, and was rushed to hospital where he later died.
An inquest into the death of Mr Singh heard he suffered 50 per cent burns on his body.
Mr Singh’s brother suffered a fractured back when he fell out of an upstairs window while their mother is still in intensive care in hospital. Two other family members were also injured.
Two men from the Stoke-on-Trent area, Daniel Tatters and Dale Francis, are standing trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court charged with murder, three counts of attempted murder and a charge of arson with intent to endanger life.
Tatters, 25 and of Basford; and Francis, 36 and of Shelton, are alleged to have travelled to Wolverhampton to start the blaze.
The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks and is being presided over by Justice Mark Wall KC. Mark Heywood KC is prosecuting the case.
Rebecca Wade KC and Balbir Singh represent Francis while Mark Fenhalls KC and Andrew Baker represent Tatters.
There was a massive outpouring of grief in East Park after the fatal fire.
The process of selecting a jury for the trial bgean this morning and prosecutor Mark Heywood KC is expected to open the case for the prosecution this afternoon or tomorrow morning.