Mother's Brave Rescue from Burning Home
A Liverpool mother has been hailed as a hero after running into her burning home to save her 14-year-old son and family pets during a terrifying arson attack that destroyed multiple properties.
The dramatic rescue unfolded in the early hours of September 7th this year after Carl Dawe, 52, set fire to a caravan outside the property in what was described as a "drunken rage". The blaze quickly spread to three homes and a car on Clifton Road East in Tuebrook.
Drunken Rage Sparks Inferno
Liverpool Crown Court heard how Dawe had been drinking with his affair partner Jacqueline Spencer at her home on the evening of September 6th when an argument erupted about a fridge freezer. The dispute escalated when Ms Spencer decided to take food to her neighbour Alison Hunt's house to prevent it from spoiling.
Prosecutor Christopher Hopkins described how Dawe later attended Ms Hunt's property where people were congregating and drinking. After being allowed entry, he told the homeowner "f*** you" before leaving immediately.
CCTV footage captured Dawe punching the windows of Ms Hunt's caravan, causing significant damage. As he walked away, he reportedly said: "Ha, look what I've done."
The situation turned far more dangerous when Dawe returned to the scene at approximately 3:30am and set fire to the caravan using a cigarette lighter to ignite the curtains.
Rapidly Spreading Blaze
The resulting fire destroyed the £800 caravan and an attached trailer belonging to Ms Hunt's brother. The situation became critical when a gas cannister inside the caravan exploded, causing what was described as a "pretty ferocious fire" that spread to the front door and windows of Ms Spencer's home.
It was at this point that Ms Spencer demonstrated extraordinary courage by re-entering the burning building where her teenage son and pets remained trapped inside.
Mr Hopkins told the court: "What happened, which is quite remarkable, is that she went back into the house when there was a fire there. Her 14-year-old son and pets were inside. The curtains in the living room were on fire. She was able to alert her son, who came downstairs. She attended to her animals and left."
Life-Changing Injuries and Trauma
The rescue came at a significant personal cost to Ms Spencer, who suffered first and second degree burns to the left side of her face and neck, as well as her left hand. In a victim statement read to the court, she described being in "unbearable pain for weeks" and fears she will be permanently scarred.
Her statement revealed the profound psychological impact: "I used to be a social and approachable person. Now, I find thinking about leaving my house a huge challenge. I now find it hard to trust anyone. He has messed my head up so much."
The fire also caused damage to two other neighbouring properties on both Clifton Road East and Gloucester Road, as well as to a nearby parked car.
Neighbour Alison Hunt described in her statement how her eight-year-old son had been "left seriously affected" and now "refuses to do anything by himself anymore". She added: "He's had his youthful spirit taken away from him."
Court Sentencing and Aftermath
Dawe, of nearby Gloucester Road North, was arrested in Newsham Park later the same morning. He subsequently pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and four counts of criminal damage.
Defence barrister Carmel Wilde described the incident as "a moment of madness in a meltdown in his mental health" and said Dawe was "mortified at the consequences". She noted he had been working in a good job in construction as head of logistics on a construction site at Aintree Hospital before struggling to find employment.
Judge Neil Flewitt KC sentenced Dawe to four-and-a-half years in prison, noting: "What you did had wide ranging and long lasting consequences. They could have been much worse. If she had not gone back inside, her son may not have escaped from the burning house."
The judge acknowledged Dawe's remorse and efforts at rehabilitation but emphasised the seriousness of offences that endangered multiple lives and destroyed property across the neighbourhood.
