Mum died in hospital holding photo of her four tragic kids after they were targeted in ‘tit-for-tat’ petrol bomb attack

A MUM died in hospital clutching a photo of her four tragic children after they were targeted in a fatal petrol bomb attack, an inquest heard.

Michelle Pearson, 37, passed away from her injuries 20 months after Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven and three-year-old Lia were killed.

The mum-of-six spent five months in a coma with 68 per cent burns to her body following the inferno at her home in Walkden, Greater Manchester in December 2017.

An inquest heard today how Michelle “clung to life” but tragically died in hospital holding a crucifix in her hand around a photo of her children.

Zak Bolland, 26, and David Worrall, 28, were both jailed for life in 2018 for murder.

In the weeks leading up to the horror, Michelle had told police she did not feel safe in her home following a series of attacks.

Bolton Coroner’s Court was told her windows had been smashed, her bin set on fire and graffiti was daubed on the walls at the family home.

Her mother, Sandra Lever, said in a statement to the court her daughter had been desperate to move house amid the escalating feud.

She said: “Michelle was beyond distressed.

“She was not eating. The children were petrified of living in Jackson Street.”

Relatives of the family believe their deaths were “wholly preventable” and have raised the question of “missed opportunities” to protect them by state agencies.

Timothy Brennand, senior coroner for Greater Manchester West, said a judge at the murder trial determined a series of tit-for-tat attacks had taken place as part of a feud in the lead-up to the fatal firebombing.

But what lay behind the dispute had never been made public, he added.

Sandra said her daughter had visited her housing provider to say she was in danger but had been told she did not meet the criteria for emergency housing.

Her children were having nightmares and Brandon had told her he no longer wanted to live in their home, but Michelle felt “fobbed off”, the hearing was told.

Elaine Williams, a neighbour, said just weeks before the arson attack she saw Bolland smashing the windows of Ms Pearson’s house with a hammer.

Mrs Williams said: “She wanted to move from there. She was fed up of all the trouble. She just wanted out.

“Michelle, her nerves were shot. She was at her wits’ end, she was worried.”

On the day of the attack, Bolland and Worrall made two petrol bombs – one from a large clear bottle and the other from a beer bottle.

The inquest heard Worrall smashed a rear window and threw one inside, which ignited “but only to a limited extent”.

But Bolland’s petrol bomb “exploded with considerable force” as flames engulfed the house.

The pair were both given four life sentences and told they would serve a minimum of 40 and 37 years respectively for the attack.

Bolland’s girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, 20, was jailed for 21 years for four counts of manslaughter.

The inquest continues.