First Picture of 'Nightmare on Elm Street' Killer Who Torched Pensioner's Home
A fire-obsessed arsonist who torched a pensioner's home in a random attack, resulting in the death of an 82-year-old man, has been convicted of murder and multiple other offences.
Andrew Gorrell, 53, set fire to a wheelie bin and deliberately moved it to block the front door of a terraced house in Monway Buildings, Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, in the early hours of May 11 last year.
Horror Film T-Shirt Worn During Attack
Gorrell wore a T-shirt referencing the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, which features a central character burned alive, during the attack.
Pensioners John and Doreen Edwards, along with their sons Carl and Mark, were asleep inside the property when the flames took hold. Doreen and her sons survived the blaze, but John Edwards died of his injuries on May 25.
Investigation and Evidence
A neighbour alerted the fire service after seeing a wheelie bin on fire, which spread from a bush to the house. Investigators recovered CCTV footage showing a man with a carrier bag igniting a suspected cigarette butt he found on the floor.
The footage captured the man moving between the front gardens of Mr Edwards' house and a neighbouring property for around 40 minutes. Shortly after being seen igniting a possible lighter between the two houses, the wheelie bin was set alight out of sight of the CCTV coverage.
Police Identification and Arrest
Using facial recognition technology, police identified Gorrell as a suspect. Following the fire, he walked to a nearby petrol station, where he told a staff member he was stranded and needed to get back to Wolverhampton railway station.
Gorrell was arrested from his home address in North Wales, wearing the same jacket recorded at the scene. Officers also recovered the plastic bag he was carrying.
Charges and Conviction
He was charged with murder, three counts of attempted murder, and arson. Additionally, he faced three more counts of arson after three bins were set alight in Wednesbury on the same morning.
Following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Gorrell of Moss Grove, Saltney, was found guilty of all offences. He is due to be sentenced at a later date.
Police Statement on the Case
Det Insp Nigel Box, from West Midlands Police's homicide unit, said: "We believe Gorrell was obsessed with fire as we found a stash of fuel and a fire pit in his garden. We also discovered Gorrell moved the wheelie bin to block the front of the door of the house making it difficult for the occupants to escape. His actions and his obsession cost an innocent man his life as well as seriously injuring others. Our thoughts remain with Mr Edwards' loved ones."
