'Evil' arsonist who murdered OAP by setting wheelie bin on fire jailed for life

An arsonist who murdered a pensioner by setting a wheelie bin on fire, engulfing the victim's home and leaving two other family members in a coma in a "living nightmare" attack has been jailed for at least 25 years.

Andrew Gorrell was wearing a Nightmare On Elm Street T-shirt - a horror film in which the central character was burned alive - when he randomly targeted the home of John Edwards, 82, who died two weeks later in hospital.

Gorrell was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court to life imprisonment and told he must serve a minimum term of 25 years before being eligible to apply for parole.

The 55-year-old, from Saltney in Flintshire, North Wales, was found guilty in February of murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent to endanger life.

Mr Edwards died of his injuries after Gorrell set fire to a wheelie bin, which was placed to block the front door. The blaze spread to his property in Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, West Midlands, in the early hours of 11 May last year.

Gorrell's trial was told that Mr Edwards' two adult sons Carl, 60, and Mark, 57, were both staying the night at their parents' home.

Passing sentence on Monday, Judge Michael Chambers KC said Gorrell's actions on the day and his previous conviction for arson showed he was "a highly dangerous individual" with an interest in fire.

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The judge told Gorrell: "For anyone to wake up in the night to find their home on fire is a living nightmare."

The judge said victim personal statements from family members, including one of Mr Edwards' grandchildren, showed that the impact of Gorrell's actions was "absolutely horrendous".

Passing concurrent jail sentences of up to 12 years for offences other than murder, the judge told him: "No sentence I can impose can put the clock back, nor should it be viewed as an attempt to put a value on a human life.

"You travelled by train from Chester to Wolverhampton and then in the early hours of the morning you took a tram to Wednesbury.

"Why you were going there has never been fully explained - you having elected not to give evidence.

"But once there you quite deliberately set a number of fires."

The judge said he was satisfied that Gorrell had an interest in fire due to three factors, including that he was "wearing a T-shirt displaying a reference to a film, Nightmare On Elm Street, in which fire is a prominent feature".

He told Gorrell: "The occupants suffered agonising injuries and ultimately, in relation to John Edwards, death.

"Before he died he had a horrendous experience. It was clearly an evil random attack the reason for which is not clear."

The judge said he had not seen "much remorse or regret" from Gorrell over his actions.

The court heard Gorrell has a long history of alcohol abuse and had been drinking before setting the fatal fire and three other nearby wheelie bin blazes.

Judge Chambers was told by prosecutor that Gorrell had been given a 12-month custodial sentence in 1990 for setting fire to a club while working as a glass collector.

As he was led out of the dock Gorrell thanked the judge and turned to family members, saying: "I am really sorry."

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