CCTV footage released by West Midlands Police shows the chilling moment Andrew Gorrell loitered near a family home in Wednesbury moments before setting a fatal fire. The 55-year-old arsonist was captured on camera wandering around the property before igniting a wheelie bin that spread to the house, killing grandfather John Edwards, 82.
Details of the Attack
Gorrell, of Moss Grove, Saltney, Flintshire, travelled from his home on the English-Welsh border by train on May 11, 2025. He was seen at a tram stop in Wolverhampton at 12:40 AM and arrived at Wednesbury Parkway at 12:58 AM. By 1:15 AM, he was on Holyhead Road, walking towards the Patent Shaft roundabout. He carried a distinctive Marks and Spencer carrier bag, making him easy to spot on CCTV.
At around 1:25 AM, Gorrell was filmed entering and exiting the driveway of Dovedale Court care home, opposite the Edwards family home in Monway Buildings, Holyhead Road. A night worker asked him to move on. He then wandered near Holyhead Primary Academy, bending down to pick up items from the ground before crossing the road to the shared garden area of the Edwards home and their neighbour.
The Fatal Fire
Gorrell remained in the area for over an hour, described by prosecutor Rachel Brand KC as 'mooching about'. At 2:45 AM, he was seen with a light near his face, consistent with lighting a cigarette. He moved the Edwards' wheelie bin to the front door and set its contents alight. As he walked away along Holyhead Road, the fire took hold. A neighbour raised the alarm at 3:06 AM.
John Edwards, an 82-year-old grandfather, died in the blaze. His widow Doreen and adult children Carl and Mark were injured but survived. Gorrell fled to an Esso petrol station in Bilston Road, telling a cashier he was 'stranded' and asking to wait because 'it's freezing'. He then set three more bin fires in Wednesbury town centre near the Lord Nelson pub, Amigos Pizza, and The Shambles.
Investigation and Sentencing
West Midlands Police obtained CCTV images and sent them to Cheshire Police, who identified Gorrell. He was wearing a Chicago Bulls jacket and A Nightmare on Elm Street T-shirt during the arson. The attack was random; Gorrell had no connection to the victims or the area and suffers from alcohol dependence syndrome.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court on July 6, 2025, Gorrell was convicted of murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent (for Doreen and Mark), one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent (for Carl), and arson with intent to endanger life. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of arson for the subsequent bin fires. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years. As he left the dock, he turned to family members and said, 'I am really sorry.'
