Arsonist Who Killed Paedophile Gets 10 Years

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A man who started a fire that trapped and killed a convicted paedophile in his own home has been jailed for 10 years.

Andrew Heath, 52, died in a firebomb attack on his flat in Worcester in the early hours of December 14, 2011.

At the time, police investigating the blaze in the Warndon area of the city treated it as a possible vigilante attack.

Daniel Martin, 25, was arrested after officers offered a £20,000 reward for information.

During the investigation West Mercia Police revealed Mr Heath had five convictions for gross indecency and indecent assault on boys aged between 14 and 17.

The scene of the arson attack

The attacks happened between 1984 and 1999 in Leicester and Birmingham. He served four prison sentences.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that in 2001, Mr Heath moved to the flat in Worcester and became known as "the fag man" because of his habit of giving cigarettes to teenagers to "befriend" them.

Police said they had no records of any offences or complaints against Mr Heath after he moved to Worcester.

Last year, the senior investigating officer in the case, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williamson said: "Whatever Mr Heath did in his past, he died in a terrible way and his family have been left in limbo not knowing what happened to him.

Copy of Mr Heath's family's statement

"This includes his parents Les and Helen, who are in their 80s. They still grieve for their son and deserve to know who killed him and why."

In a statement after sentencing Mr Heath's sister Leia Charleson said it was "some comfort" to the family that Martin had now been dealt with.

But she added it was too late for her mother and father who had died recently, five months apart.

She said her brother's death had a "devastating" effect on their parents' health and "neither was able to come to terms with what had happened".

The court was told that Martin had moved wheelie bins to the front door of Mr Heath's maisonette and set them on fire.

Mr Heath was woken by a fire alarm and alerted a couple living below by stamping on the floor.

When fire crews arrived they found him dead, slumped against a radiator. He had been overcome by fumes and his body was burned.

Earlier this year, Martin pleaded guilty to Mr Heath's manslaughter.

He denied murder on the grounds of lack of intent, which was accepted by the prosecution.

The court heard Martin had wanted to "frighten" Mr Heath, who was described as a "predatory paedophile", but the fire took hold with "speed and ferocity".

It took just minutes for the flat to turn into an "inferno".

Martin had known Mr Heath for several years and owed him money.

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