Jury Told of Horror Film T-Shirt Discovery in Fatal Wednesbury Arson Investigation
Prosecutors have revealed to a jury that police investigating a tragic arson attack which claimed the life of an elderly man discovered a 'Nightmare on Elm Street' T-shirt days after the fatal fire. The disturbing find emerged during the ongoing trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, where Andrew Gorrell stands accused of murder following a wheelie bin blaze that spread to a family home in Wednesbury.
The Deadly Fire That Shook a Black Country Community
The court heard how the Edwards family were sleeping inside their terraced property on Holyhead Road when flames from a deliberately set bin fire engulfed their home on May 11, 2025. John Edwards, aged 82, sustained severe burns in the incident and tragically died in hospital two weeks later. His wife Doreen and their two children, Mark and Carl Edwards, survived the harrowing ordeal.
Prosecutors described the attack as 'utterly random', with the defendant allegedly moving the burning bin to block the front door of the Edwards' home. Remarkably, investigators established that Gorrell, from Saltney in Flintshire near the English-Welsh border, had no known connections to the Edwards family, their property, or the Wednesbury area.
Police Investigation Uncovers Chilling Evidence
Reading agreed facts to the jury, junior prosecutor Sarah Slater detailed how West Midlands Police sent CCTV still images to Cheshire Police on May 13 as part of their investigation. A Cheshire officer identified Gorrell as a suspect, leading North Wales Police to attend the defendant's home in the early hours of May 14.
Officers found Gorrell asleep on his sofa and noted he made 'no response' when cautioned during his arrest. At the time, he was wearing a Chicago Bulls jacket. During a search of the property, police discovered a black T-shirt bearing the 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' print on top of a bedroom chest of drawers, along with a Marks and Spencer carrier bag.
Symbolic Clothing Takes Centre Stage in Courtroom Drama
Prosecutor Rachel Brand KC highlighted the significance of the horror film T-shirt to jurors, noting: 'The lettering said Nightmare on Elm Street. Some of you may know that film, but for those that don't, I'm told it is a film where one of the central characters was burnt to death in a fire.'
CCTV footage gathered during the investigation showed Gorrell wearing both the Chicago Bulls jacket and the Nightmare on Elm Street T-shirt on the day of the arson, while also carrying a Marks and Spencer bag.
Charges and Admissions in the Ongoing Trial
The 54-year-old defendant has admitted manslaughter but denies one count of murder. He also faces two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent relating to Doreen and Mark Edwards, and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent relating to Carl Edwards.
While Gorrell admitted an alternative charge of manslaughter, this was not accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. He denies arson with intent to endanger life but has admitted an alternative charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Additionally, the defendant admitted three separate counts of arson relating to other bin fires he set in Wednesbury in the hours following the fatal house blaze.
The trial continues as jurors consider the evidence surrounding this tragic case that has left a Black Country community in mourning.
