Special report: Shropshire arson spree firefighters betrayed their duty to the public
They betrayed their brigade and put many lives at risk. Arthur Mills reports on the firestarter firefighters.
David Pearson and Kingsley Tolley had both volunteered to be retained firemen in Shropshire and had a duty to protect the public.
But the rogue firefighters breached the trust placed in them and took part in a conspiracy to commit arson, declaring the fires they started as being "awesome".
Both were dismissed from their posts before the cases came to court and Tolley was found hanged in woodland in July.
Today the Shropshire Star reveals the evidence that snared Pearson, who is starting a prison sentence of more than five years.
Whatever the motive for their actions, neither of the two men seemingly had any regard for the risks being taken by colleagues who were called to tackle the fires.
Both had volunteered in 2013 and received the same level of training as full time firefighters.
Pearson was based at Minsterley, near to his Pontesbury home, and Tolley was at Albrighton, where he lived.
As part-time firemen they were paid a retainer and had bleepers to be alerted of "a shout" for which they received a fee.
Extracts of WhatsApp conversations recovered by police from Pearson's phone, which were described as 'gold dust' for investigators:
Fire 1: On July 8 an unoccupied caravan was set alight and destroyed in a field near Pearson's Pontesbury home, between a disused railway line and the Wharf Business Park. Around 11pm it was Tolley's phone that was used to report the blaze. Pearson was at Minsterley Fire Station.
Pearson really want to caravan.
Tolley Awesome.
Pearson what u thinking.
Tolley unattended candle. window open, curtain, fire ball.
Pearson got to live the dream.
In other exchanges on the day the pair talk of a bonfire and getting liquid firelighters and extra material to burn including cardboard.
Fire 2: Conversations about the intended arson on August 30 involving a van in a lay-by in Trfolwern:
August 27, Pearson thinking of setting that lads van and car on Friday night.
Tolley Im on early so it could be possible.
Pearson wicked. I will drive mate.
August 30, Pearson Wales van good job.
Tolley - Awesome.
Fire 3: Regarding a fire on August 21 at Severn Farm.
Tolley - might have gone out. Its still smoking. Smell and see it.
Pearson another one that got away. U rest it.
Tolley Its not got away. Its burnt hole in the fabric. Just got to drop another in. Hes gone to bed. Not for long mind LOL.
Pearson U still watching.
Tolley not leaving till its done.
Pearson Hows it going?
Tolley Smoking No flames yet. Defo going.
Pearson Good lad. will it go out?
Tolley Whole back on fire. Standby for alert.
Pearson What car was it?
Tolley Audi TT. Rich bastard.
Pearson Shame LOL.
It was in addition to other work as the remuneration from the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service was never going to make them rich or even provide a living wage.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday 32-year-old Pearson was jailed for five years and four months after admitting conspiring with 37-year-old Tolley to commit arson.
The court heard that Tolley, of Valiant Road, Albrighton, had been found hanged in woodland near his home in July 2015. An inquest is to be held later this month.
Prosecutor Robert Edwards gave a detailed outline of the events of the summer of 2014 discovered after Fire Service bosses noticed an unusually high number of arson incidents in the Minsterley and Pontesbury areas of Shrewsbury.
During 2012 and 2013 and up to July 2014 there were no incidents of deliberate fires – but from July 24 to early September there were 10 incidents.
It was also noticed that in the first two quarters of 2014 Pearson had attended only 17 out of 38 call-outs, but from July to September he had attended all 27 call-outs, indicating he had some prior warning of some of the fires Minsterley crews attended.
West Mercia Police were informed and the investigation identified phone numbers when fires had been reported.
A rubbish bin fire at Hanwood on July 1 was reported from a mobile phone. On July 8 it was used to report the caravan blaze near Pearson's home which was part of the conspiracy. The phone was registered to Kingsley Tolley.
Pearson's phone was also analysed and when questioned he had lied to impede the inquiry by telling police his iPhone did not have a security pin code.
However, new decryption software being piloted by police and the information recovered from Pearson's phone was described as "gold dust" for the investigators. A multitude of WhatsApp conversations were found between Pearson and Tolley discussing the setting of fires.
In one, on July 8, a caravan was set alight in a blaze Tolley described in his conversation as "awesome".
On August 30 a van belonging to James Flavell was destroyed in a lay-by close to his home in the hamlet of Tafolwern near Llanbrymair in Powys.
The heat from the blazing van just feet away from the semi-detached house had cracked windows. It is a rural area only accessed by an unclassified road to the A470.
Mr Flavell had known Pearson for 10 years, having met when they worked together in a factory. Pearson owed Mr Flavell some money. There was no dispute but Pearson had ceased contact.
There was a shared interest in the van and Pearson had believed he would get money from the insurance, but it was not insured.
The day before the blaze was Mr Flavell's birthday. Pearson sent a message wishing him a happy birthday – a cynical and false wish having already planned the arson attack.
Pearson had driven Tolley to the scene and he had started the fire. Pearson had responded later to Facebook messages from Collette Short, Mr Flavell's partner – another cynical message asking if they were alright. Pearson had later asked Flavell for pictures of the damaged van, clearly desperate to see the result of his work.
It emerged that an off-duty police officer had seen Pearson's vehicle parked in a lay-by in the Llanbrymair area just before the 3am fire and inquiries showed it was there between 2.15am and 4.10am.
A third fire in the conspiracy happened the following day on August 31 at Severn Farm machinery, a business on a small industrial estate near Pontesbury.
The Minsterley crew, including Pearson, responded to the 1.35am report of the blaze which involved a £4,000 BMW which was destroyed.
It was parked between a tractor and a low-loader and damage to both was about £6,000. In a wooden shed housing a water control system a jacket had been set alight, but a plastic pipe had melted and put out the fire.
A second attempt to burn the shed near gas bottles had also failed.
In a brief WhatsApp messages Pearson says he is "standing by" ready to respond to a fire call. Later Pearson says the fire had been "mental" and Tolley tells him that he got into the compound by crawling under the gate.
On September 2 at around 1am an Audi TT car belonging to Maximillian Birchwood was destroyed outside his home at Red House Barns in Plealey, a hamlet near Pontesbury. The vehicle, valued at £13,500, was written off. The fire had been started in the passenger area and spread to the petrol tank.
While setting the fire Tolley provides a running commentary on WhatsApp for Pearson who later is part of the crew that responds to tackle the blaze.
Chillingly, Tolley is aware that the house is occupied and appears to be watching Mr Birchwood's movements and tells Pearson he is at Plealey and the target is a convertible car. It appears that Tolley also sent pictures of the scene to Pearson, which could not be recovered from the phone data.
During the conversations Tolley tells Pearson that he has a "cracking one lined up" and it was potentially massive and was keeping it as a surprise. That surprise happened later in the evening of September 2, about 18 hours after the Plealey incident.
Of all the arsons planned by Pearson and Tolley the fire at the home of Pearson's next door neighbour in Station Road, Pontesbury, could have had the most catastrophic consequences.
The victim was Bob Powell, a West Mercia police officer, and he and his wife and their week-old twin sons were all asleep in their home.
At the time any relationship with Pearson had degenerated over a dispute involving Pearson's dogs barking.
It is assumed this was the motive for Mr Powell's £16,500 BMW being set alight and destroyed and it was Tolley's "surprise" for Pearson.
The BMW was parked within a foot of the front door of the house and the intensity of the fire caused heat damage to the door.
Alarm
It was only by good fortune that Mr Powell's brother, who lives nearby, spotted the burning car and raised the alarm and the family were able to escape through the rear of the property.
The two men were able to push the car away from the house prior to the Minsterley fire crew arriving – which included Pearson who spoke to his neighbour.
Tolley sent messages to Pearson asking "was the copper's car there?" and "Copper getting it" and that it was "sorted".
Judge Robin Onions dismissed Pearson's claim that Tolley had been the "ringleader" and rejected the idea that he was led by Tolley's stronger personality.
"This was a conspiracy of equals and you were not under the dominance of Kingsley Tolley and were not being put under pressure," he said.
He said Pearson had shown "little or no thought" for those who were exposed to risk – either his firemen colleagues and the victims and three of the fires had been close to occupied houses.
He told him that, as an entrusted firefighter, he had abused the trust of both colleagues and the public.
"You were excited by what you were doing and had little or no thought for those who were being exposed to risk – and there was some degree of financial gain," he said.
Judge Onions described Pearson and Tolley as "rogue firefighters" deliberately setting fires while employed by the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
He said a social inquiry indicated Pearson had been involved for financial gain and excitment and concluded that he was dangerous.
However, it was said all the fires were set by Tolley – said to be a very troubled individual – and a psychiatric report suggested Pearson did not show the compulsive behaviour of an arsonist.
Judge Onions ruled that "on balance" having considered both reports he did not regard Pearson as dangerous and a future risk to the public.
