Overview
- On Monday July 6, 2026, Wolverhampton Crown Court sentenced Andrew Gorrell to life with a minimum term of 25 years, with 417 days deducted for time spent on remand.
- Prosecutors said Gorrell deliberately set a wheelie bin alight and pushed it to block the front door of a terraced house so the fire would spread rapidly into the home.
- The blaze occurred in the early hours of May 11, 2025, and John Edwards died in hospital from his injuries on May 25, 2025; jurors convicted Gorrell of murder and related offences in February 2026.
- Court reporting noted Gorrell travelled from Saltney, had no known link to the victims, pleaded guilty to separate bin arsons set later that morning, and was wearing a ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ T-shirt at the time.
- Judge Michael Chambers KC described the attack as evil and said Gorrell posed a high danger to the public while leaving long-term risk assessment to the Parole Board, and the family continue to deal with physical and emotional harm from the blaze.