Killer in Horror Film T-Shirt Convicted for Random Arson Murder in Wednesbury
A killer who wore a horror film T-shirt while travelling 70 miles to set fire to a pensioner's home in a random arson attack has been convicted by jurors. Andrew Gorrell, 54, now faces a life sentence for murder after the blaze in Wednesbury.
Details of the Fatal Arson Attack
Cruel Andrew Gorrell set fire to a wheelie bin and deliberately moved it to block the front door of the terraced house in Monway Buildings, Holyhead Road, Wednesbury. At the time, he was wearing a top with the wording 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', a horror film where the central character, Freddy Krueger, was burned alive.
Pensioners John and Doreen Edwards, along with their sons Carl and Mark, were asleep inside the property when flames took hold in the early hours of May 11, 2025. Doreen and her sons survived the blaze, but John, 82, died of his injuries two weeks later.
No Known Motive or Links Established
It is understood that Gorrell, from Saltney in Flintshire on the England-Wales border, has no known links to the Edwards family, their house, or the Wednesbury area. Detectives have been unable to establish a motive for the attack, describing it as utterly random.
Jurors today unanimously convicted him of murder after deliberating for three hours and 27 minutes at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Gorrell now faces life behind bars and will be sentenced at a future date.
Judge's Remarks and Charges
Judge Michael Chambers KC told him: "It's an extremely serious matter. Although the sentence will be one of life imprisonment, I have to fix the minimum term you have to serve."
Gorrell denied one count of murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent relating to Doreen and Mark, and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent relating to Carl. He also denied one count of arson with intent to endanger life but admitted an alternative of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. The killer was unanimously convicted of all charges.
Additional Admissions and Trial Evidence
He had admitted an alternative charge of manslaughter ahead of his trial, but this was not accepted by the Crown. The defendant also previously admitted three counts of arson in relation to three separate bin fires he set in Wednesbury in the hours after the fatal house blaze.
The trial heard how Carl, 60, managed to clamber out of a window before firefighters rescued his mum, who was 81 at the time, and his brother Mark, 57. John sustained severe burns and died in hospital on May 25.
Prosecution's Case and Fire Investigation
Prosecutor Rachel Brand KC told jurors that a fire investigation ruled out any accidental cause of the blaze and established it was started by the ignition of the contents of the wheelie bin. She previously said: "He set a fire in the middle of the night when people were asleep. He moved the wheelie bin and deliberately positioned it outside the front door and where it would not only cause the fire to spread to the house but it would also block the exit of anyone inside the house. He did not alert anyone to the fire."
She added: "What he did was walk away, leaving the fire to spread and engulf the front of the house with the inevitable consequence, we say, that the people inside would be seriously injured. He is a man of 54, he is not a child or silly teenager who would not be aware of the dangers of lighting a fire so close to a house. He is a mature man."
