Justice for Lillian as thug who torched her flat jailed
ARSONIST ATTACKED WRONG HOME BY MISTAKE
Arson victim Lillian McElfatrick from Blyth who’s flat was destroyed Court Reporter A JEALOUS thug who destroyed a pensioner’s home by setting fire to it by mistake as he tried to target her upstairs neighbour has been jailed for 10 years.
Bitter Ashley Walker was trying to torch the flat of a man he wrongly believed his ex partner was going out with after reacting badly to the end of their relationship and starting to cause trouble.
With the help of accomplice Graham Wills, he first set fire to the woman’s car outside her home in Blyth as she slept alone in bed.
They then immediately went to what he thought was the home of a man he incorrectly believed was in a relationship with his former girlfriend – and set fire to that.
But instead of getting the man’s upstairs flat, he got the home of Lillian McElfatrick, the 71-year-old pensioner who lives downstairs, causing up to £60,000 of damage.
A court heard she lost everything she owned except the night clothes she was wearing when she escaped, as she had no insurance.
Now Walker has been locked up for 10 years while Wills got six years and three months after they were convicted of arson on the flat at Brockwell Court, Newsham, Blyth, and damaging the ex’s car by fire.
In a statement read to the court, the pensioner said she had been out with her family then stayed up late that Ashley Walker, who has been jailed for carrying out fire attacks in Blyth night watching Ice Cold Killers then Little House on the Prairie – her favourite programme – on TV.
Having dozed off in the early hours, she said: “I woke up with a sound as if someone was banging the back door.
“I thought there was a light on but when I went in the passage I could see a fire at my back door, the flames were half way up the door.
“I suddenly heard a loud whoosh sound and I went out of the front door and called the fire brigade and waited outside.
“I’ve since been back and found it had been destroyed with smoke damage and my belongings are ruined.
“I’ve not been able to return due to the extensive damage and I’ve been re-housed on a temporary basis at the moment, in an upstairs flat, which is not ideal.
“As a result of this, everything I own has been destroyed, including clothing, pictures and sentimental mementos.”
She added: “My life has changed completely through an act of complete and utter cowardice and pure malice.
“I was not insured and lost everything I owned, destroyed at the hands of men without any respect.
“How would they feel if it was their mothers whose life had been destroyed?
“In my opinion, as a law-abiding citizen of this country, what these men did was an attempt to kill a person.
“I understand it was meant for my neighbour but they got me.
“I understand not one of them have shown any remorse or given any explanation.
“I’m a broken woman due to the acts of these two deplorable men.”
Walker’s ex partner added in her victim impact statement: “He has completely turned my life upside down for nothing.
“I can’t understand why someone who had a child with me would want to inflict so much hurt on me.”
Both fire attacks happened in the early hours of May 15 last year – the first on the car on Twentieth Avenue, Blyth.
Around 3.30am, Walker’s ex woke to find her Vauxhall Corsa had gone up in flames outside her home.
Around the same time the pensioner discovered her flat was also on fire.
Prosecutor Jonathan Devlin said: “She was woken by a loud bang and d left her bedroom to find her rear r door was well alight.
“She was able to get out of her flat. She was not aware she had any problems with anybody, friends, neighbours or people she had known in the past.
“There appeared to be no reason her house should be targeted for an arson attack.
“Unhappily he (Walker) got the wrong address.”
Walker, 29, of Aln Avenue, Gosforth, and Wills, 36, of Fourteenth Avenue, Blyth, were each convicted of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and damaging the car by fire.
Wills also carried out an unrelated ed burglary.
Jailing them and imposing an indefinite restraining order on Walker, Recorder Andrew Baker QC said: “Walker, you set fire to that car in the grossest form of intimidation and revenge on your former partner.”
The judge said he acted with ‘callous disregard for people’s safety, well-being and life’ in torching the flat. He added: “Had she been fast asleep the consequences could have been catastrophic, if not fatal.
“The continued trauma of having all her possessions destroyed by your mindless and gratuitous act is unimaginable.”
Richard Bloomfield, for Walker, said references showed a better side to his character.
Julie Clemitson, for Wills, said: “There is a positive side to his character.” The inside of Lillian’s flat after it had been destroyed