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A police officer who responded to a distress call from a mother shortly before an arson attack that killed four of her children has revealed during an inquest that she initially believed the threats made by the perpetrator were not serious. PC Gemma Quinn testified at Bolton Coroner’s Court that she did not consider it necessary to arrest Zak Bolland immediately after Michelle Pearson contacted emergency services, reporting that Bolland had threatened her son and her home on Jackson Street in Walkden, Salford.
The tragic fire occurred on 11 December 2017 and claimed the lives of four of Michelle Pearson’s children. Michelle herself, who was 37 at the time, later succumbed to severe burns in August 2019. Quinn, who has served with Greater Manchester Police for 14 years, informed the court that she had intended to arrest Bolland during her next shift two days after the initial call. Expressing deep remorse, Quinn said, “I carry the guilt every day. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen,” and tearfully added that she has since stopped frontline policing.
The victims of the 2017 blaze were Demi Pearson, aged 15; her younger brother Brandon, who was eight; and their sisters Lacie, seven, and Lia, three. Both Zak Bolland and David Worrall were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 for the murders of the children and were also convicted in 2021 of Michelle Pearson’s murder. Bolland received a minimum term of 40 years, while Worrall’s minimum term was set at 37 years. The inquest, which began on 5 October, is examining the interaction Michelle had with police and social services during the weeks leading up to the fatal incident, with proceedings expected to last eight weeks.
Details presented in court revealed that PC Quinn and PC Mike Grundy responded to Michelle’s 999 call around 1:25 a.m. on the night in question. They arrived at the Walkden residence to find Bolland and three others outside the house. Bolland was reportedly heard shouting threats such as “I’m going to break Kyle’s jaw” and warning that he intended to “boot the door down.” Quinn, identified as the senior officer that night, recalled that Bolland had previously threatened to set fire to Michelle’s home and had smashed windows with a hammer two weeks prior. Despite database markers related to Bolland’s drug use, violent behavior, and firearms, Quinn decided not to arrest him, interpreting the threats as “empty” and commonly encountered in her years of policing in Salford. She left the scene about an hour later, at 2:30 a.m., although her shift was not scheduled to end until 5:00 a.m.
Quinn admitted that, in hindsight, arresting Bolland immediately would have been the correct course of action. Although there were outstanding administrative tasks requiring completion back at the station, Quinn acknowledged under questioning that those tasks were not more important than detaining a threatening individual. PC Mike Grundy had expressed to Michelle Pearson his expectation that Bolland would be arrested that night, which the inquest suggested may have reassured Michelle and given her a false sense of safety. Furthermore, while police asked Michelle whether she felt safe at home, no measures were taken to relocate her and her family to a safer environment right away. Quinn also explained that she did not contact Michelle’s housing provider because the call occurred outside of their working hours. The inquest into the circumstances surrounding the tragic fire is ongoing
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