Girl’s tribute to her ‘superhero’ dad
Court tribute by girl, 13, as arsonist jailed
A 13-year-old girl fought through tears to talk about her “superhero” father and her beloved sister at the sentencing of a burglar who killed them both by pouring petrol through the letterbox of their home.
A BURGLAR who killed a father and daughter by pouring petrol through the letterbox of their family home and torching the property has been jailed for 20 years.
A judge told Daniel Jones he had shown no remorse for causing the deaths of Andrew Broadhead and eight-year-old daughter Kiera.
During the hearing yesterday at Leeds Crown Court Mia fought through tears to talk about her “superhero” father and her sister, who she said was “the world’s brightest star”.
She told the courtroom: “It is too hard to say goodbye to my dad so I say ‘if I don’t see you through the week, I’ll see you in my dreams. I love you daddy’.”
She said: “My daddy was the world’s greatest superhero and he was my hero.
“I am thankful for his happiness, kindness and his love for everyone – the way he was positive and how he always lifted everybody’s spirits.”
Mr Broadhead and Kiera were killed after Jones torched the property in a bid to destroy a security camera he feared had captured incriminating footage of him carrying out a burglary days earlier at a neighbouring property. Tragically, the camera was not even working.
Andrew, wife Sara, and two daughters Mia, 13, and Kiera had returned home from holiday just hours before Jones started the blaze in the early hours of October 19 last year.
Jones, of Spawd Bone Lane, Knottingley, was found guilty of two offences of manslaughter and burglary after a trial.
Sentencing Jones, Mr Justice Morris told him: “You took no steps to check whether the information you had been given about the Broadhead family being on holiday was correct.
“Deliberately setting fire to a home in a residential area in the small hours of the morning and in an area with which you were well familiar was a highly dangerous act.”
He added: “You showed a total disregard for the lives and safety of others.
“The harm caused by your actions could hardly be more serious.
“You have caused the death of two people and enormous and enduring pain to Sara and Mia and their wider family.
“You continue to deny that you committed these offences and have shown no remorse for your actions.
“What is more, you have sought to mislead the court by concocting and fabricating evidence in your efforts to deny responsibility.”
Remembering her sister, Mia said: “My sissy was the world’s brightest star and nobody will dull her sparkle.
“I am thankful for the eight years we had with her – for her kindness, her funniness, her caring for one another and her humour. She didn’t deserve this, neither of them did.”
Mia described how she had suffered nightmares since the fire.
She said: “Every time I tried to sleep upstairs it all came back to me.
“I started to panic and could hear the sounds of the fire, the smell, the smoke and not being able to breathe.”
Mia said: “I am scared of leaving mum alone in case something happens.”
My daddy was the world’s greatest superhero and he was my hero. Mia, daughter of Andrew Broadhead.