Inquest hears officer judged Zak Bolland's threats 'empty' before fatal arson attack

Centre · 2PC Gemma Quinn, a Greater Manchester Police officer of 14 years, told Bolton Coroner's Court that she thought Zak Bolland was making "empty threats" and did not think it necessary to arrest him "there and then". 1 2 Centre · 2She had been called to Michelle Pearson's home on Jackson Street, Walkden, Salford, after a 999 call in which Ms Pearson, 37, said Bolland, 26, had threatened her son and her home. 2 1 Centre · 1Quinn said she planned to arrest Bolland when she was next on shift, two days later. Bolland returned within hours and, in the early hours of 11 December 2017, he and David Worrall threw petrol bombs into the house. 1

Centre · 2The attack killed four of Ms Pearson's children: Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia. Ms Pearson suffered 68% burns and died in August 2019, about 20 months later. 2 1 Centre · 2Quinn explained her view by saying she had worked in Salford for 14 years, where she had seen that "individuals make threats like that quite often". The Standard reports she said she took the threats "seriously" but also saw them as potentially an "empty threat". 1 2 Centre · 1The BBC reports that, as the senior officer, Quinn knew Bolland had two weeks earlier threatened to set fire to the house and smashed windows with a hammer. It also reports there were database markers about his drug use, firearms and violence. 2

Centre · 2Bolland lived about 350 yards away. Anna Morris KC, for the Pearson family, suggested the arrest attempt would have taken a few minutes, and Quinn agreed it "could've" been done. Quinn said she and her colleague still had paperwork to do at the station, and her shift ran until 5am. 1 2 Centre · 1Asked whether she should have tried to arrest him immediately, Quinn said "In hindsight, yes" (BBC). Asked whether the write-up was more important than questioning Bolland, she answered "No" (BBC). 2 Centre · 1The Standard reports she accepted she did not seek advice from senior colleagues, alert officers still on duty, hand the job to the next shift or arrange patrols of the address. 1

Centre · 1The BBC reports that her colleague PC Mike Grundy told Ms Pearson in his statement that he expected Bolland to be arrested. The inquest heard this was likely to have made her feel she was not in danger. Quinn also said she saw no point calling housing provider City West because it was out of hours. 2 Centre · 2Quinn became tearful, saying: "I carry the guilt every day" and "Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen." She has not done front-line policing since. 1 2 Centre · 2Bolland and Worrall were jailed for life in 2018 with minimum terms of 40 and 37 years. Bolland's girlfriend Courtney Brierley was jailed for 21 years for manslaughter. The BBC says both men were also convicted of Ms Pearson's murder in 2021. 1 2

Centre · 2The inquest began on 5 October and is scheduled to last eight weeks. It is examining Ms Pearson's contact with police and social services, and whether there were missed opportunities to protect the family. The trial heard she had called police on at least five occasions in the two weeks before the attack and had begged to be rehoused. 2 1