A mother who lost four of her children in a petrol bomb attack on her home is being buried next to them today, 21 months after the horrific fire.
Michelle Pearson, 37, is to be laid to rest in Walkden, Greater Manchester today after a service at St Paul’s Church, the same place where her children’s funeral was held.
Her coffin was escorted in a procession today which included a band with bagpipes, five horse-drawn carriages – four carrying flowers to represent the children and one carrying Michelle – followed by family limos.
Her funeral started at 11.15am from Jackson Street, with the cortege arriving at the church at noon.
The mother-of-six was too unwell to attend the funeral of her four children in September last year, but hundreds of people lined the route and packed the church as the four little coffins were carried inside.
Michelle Pearson, 37, will be laid to rest in Walkden, Greater Manchester today after a service at St Paul’s Church (pictured: The funeral cortege arrives today)
The funeral procession of Michelle Pearson on its way to St Paul’s Church, Walkden. Mrs Pearson, 37, died on August 25 after spending 20 months in hospital with horrific burns she suffered in a murderous arson attack on her home that killed four of her children
The mother-of-six was too unwell to attend the funeral of her four children in September last year (pictured: A carriage at the procession)
Mrs Pearson’s own funeral is at the same church, and the family have thanked the community for their support and said everyone is welcome to pay their last respects
Pictured: The funeral cortege of Michelle Pearson arrives at St Paul’s Church in Walkden, Greater Manchester today
Michelle Pearson, who lost four of her children in a petrol bomb attack on her home, is to be buried next to them today
Mrs Pearson’s coffin was escorted in a procession today which included five horse-drawn carriages – four carrying flowers to represent the children and one carrying Michelle
The mother-of-six was too unwell to attend the funeral of her four children in September last year, but hundreds of people lined the route and packed the church as the four little coffins were carried inside (pictured: A carriage containing flowers at today’s procession)
Michelle Pearson, 37, never left hospital having suffered 75% burns and finally died on August 25, 20 months after the fire-bombing of her home on Jackson Street, Walkden, Greater Manchester (Pictured: The funeral cortege at St Paul’s Church)
Mrs Pearson’s own funeral is at the same church, and the family have thanked the community for their support and said everyone is welcome to pay their last respects.
Mrs Pearson suffered 75 per cent burns to her body after the attack in December 2017, which claimed the lives of Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven and Lia, three.
The arson came after a petty feud between the attackers and the children’s older brother Kyle, 16, who escaped the flames with a friend.
Mrs Pearson’s mother Sandra Lever told the Sun: ‘Michelle will have an amazing send off. Hopefully the community will be there like they did with the kids.
‘We will be walking behind the carriages to the church, keeping it traditional in black and white.
Demi Pearson, 15, her brother, Brandon, aged eight, and sisters, Lacie, seven and Lia, aged three, all perished in the petrol-bomb attack which turned their home into an inferno in the early hours of December 11, 2017 (pictured: The funeral procession of Michelle Pearson makes it’s way to St Paul’s Church)
Mrs Pearson suffered 75 per cent burns to her body after the attack in December 2017, which claimed the lives of Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven and Lia, three (pictured: The funeral cortege of Michelle Pearson)
Hundreds were predicted to line the streets today in Walkden, Greater Manchester for the funeral of Mrs Pearson (pictured: The funeral cortege of Michelle Pearson arrives at St Paul’s Church)
Sandra Leve, the mother of Michelle Pearson, arrives for her funeral at St Paul’s Church, Walkden, Greater Manchester today
The family announced Mrs Pearson had died on August 26 in a heartbreaking statement posted on social media (pictured: The funeral procession today)
Michelle Pearson, 37, pictured left before the fire and right in hospital after, will be buried next to her four children today, 21 months after a petrol bomb attack on her home
‘We have got bagpipes as well – more than last time. Michelle is having a horse and carriage.’
The family announced Mrs Pearson had died on August 26 in a heartbreaking statement posted on social media.
Sandra wrote: ‘Sadly last night after a hard 20 months of fighting our beautiful Michelle gained her wings and went to join her babies.’
Greater Manchester Police said they would review the original criminal investigation, which saw Zak Bolland, David Worrall and Courtney Brierley jailed for a total of 98 years.
Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia, three, pictured together, were killed in the petrol bomb attack and buried in September 2018, however their mother was too sick to attend the funeral
Demi Pearson, 15, pictured, also died in the fire at her home in 2017. Zak Bolland, David Worrall and Courtney Brierley were jailed for a total of 98 years for the horrific attack
Michelle’s mother Sandra Lever announced the news of her death last month, saying her daughter had gone to ‘join her babies’. Ms Lever said today’s funeral would be ‘traditional’
Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal, known for bringing the notorious Rochdale gang to justice, called for the two men to be charged with Michelle’s murder as well as her children’s.
He said: ‘Those convicted of the murder of her children now need to be charged with her murder. Time is no longer a bar to prosecution. Such a sad case.’
Demi’s music-themed coffin was carried into her service by her teenage classmates. Pictured: Demi Pearson, 14
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes added: ‘As the Senior Investigating Officer for the investigation into the fire, I know first-hand how devastating the death of her four children was for Michelle and the news of her passing is incredibly tragic.’
The Pearson home went up in flames after petrol bombs were thrown into their house at around 5am on December 11 2017.
Michelle’s son Kyle managed to escape, with his mother and young sister Lacie pulled from the flames. The toddler died two days later.
Bolland was convicted of four counts of murder and three of attempted murder and was handed a minimum 40 year sentence.
His friend David Worrall was also convicted of the four murders and three counts of attempted GBH and was handed a 37 year sentence.
Bolland’s then girlfriend Courtney Brierley was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter and was jailed for 21 years.
Mrs Pearson was left too ill to attend her children’s funerals in September 2018.
The grieving mother did however pen a moving tribute to her four children which was read to those gathered in the church.
She wrote: ‘They were the twinkle in my eye, now they are angels in the sky. One day we will be reunited together forever.’
For the youngsters’ service firefighters who tried to save them formed a guard of honour as Ariana Grande’s cover of ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ played.
Zak Bolland, left, and David Worrall, right, were convicted of four counts of murder. After Mrs Pearson’s death in August, police said they would review the original criminal investigation
The family then played Frozen’s Let It Go for Lia, whom they called: ‘Our little blue-eyed girl with blonde curls.’
Demi’s music-themed coffin was carried into the service by her teenage classmates while family carried an Avengers coffin for Brandon, My Little Pony for Lacie and Peppa Pig for Lia.
Earlier this year the family shared a video of her in a wheelchair with a tracheotomy tube releasing four balloons in memory of her four children.
CCTV images captured Bolland and Worrall filling up a petrol can at a Texaco fuel station before arriving at the Pearson home in Walkden, Greater Manchester.
Bolland’s then girlfriend Courtney Brierley, pictured, was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter and was jailed for 21 years
The two men then removed a fence panel from the garden, smashed a kitchen window and tossed in two lit petrol bombs.
One landed near the stairs, blocking the only exit to the ground floor and trapped the occupants as they lay asleep inside.
Kyle managed to escape from an upstairs window but his four siblings, who were sleeping in a front bedroom, perished in the flames.
Younger sister Lia, aged three, was rescued from the house but died in hospital two days later.
Mrs Pearson, who was sleeping in the same room as Lia, escaped the blaze but was overheard screaming ‘Not the kids! Not my kids!’ as the fire engulfed the three bedroom mid-terrace house.
CCTV shown to the jury showed Bolland and Worrall at the address at 4.55am for one minute and five seconds.
The cameras recorded a flash then a larger second one from the petrol bombs, before they fled.
Neighbours ran out to help but were beaten back by the heat and flames as multiple 999 calls were made.
Three fire engines scrambled to the scene, the first arriving at 5.04am, and firefighters discovered Brandon face down on his bedroom floor, as if trying to crawl out, and Lacie directly behind him, suggesting she was following her brother.