Jury shown video of Wolverhampton family home torched which killed father and injured three others

Dale Francis, 37, and Daniel Tatters, 26, both from Stoke-on-Trent are charged with multiple offences concerning the fatal blaze at Plascom Road, East Park, June 25, last year.

Popular takeaway owner Akashdeep Singh, 26, died in the blaze and three of his family members were seriously injured including his mother who had to have part of her leg amputated

Francis and Tatters both deny murder, three charges of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Prosecuting Mark Heywood KC told the jury: "We do not know the reason why these two men travelled to Wolverhampton to set fire to this house. We may never know the reason but as the prosecution we need to prove they did take part.

"For the charge of murder, the fire was the direct cause of Akashdeep’s death. It was, effectively, the weapon of choice. 

"Setting fire to the address in the manner outlined, at a time of night when the occupants were at their most vulnerable, demonstrates that they intended nothing less than to kill all those in the house. It is not necessary to prove that an individual was specifically targeted. 

The jury were shown CCTV footage of the moment the fatal fire started. Judge Mark Hall KC asked family members in the public gallery if they wanted to leave before the footage was shown to court, they all opted to remain. 

"The footage showed a hooded man approaching the house, smashing the window and throwing an object inside which quickly ignited. The figure can be seen running away. Within minutes the blaze had taken hold before the family inside could evacuate"

Painstakingly piecing together CCTV, Ring doorbell and other footage across the region West Midlands Police showed the two men enter a VW Golf and drive back to Stoke.

Mr Heywood told the jury Tatters, believed to be the hooded figure who smashed the window, went to A&E in Stoke to treat cuts to his hand.

He said: "Daniel Tatters attended the emergency department at the Royal Stoke University Hospital at 3.40am. He sustained three wounds on the back of his left middle and ring fingers"He said he had been drinking in the early hours, he had let his dog out at home and in the garden he had tripped on to a sheet of window glass."

Mr Heywood asked the jury: "You will have to consider whether that account was truthful, or whether Tatters had cut his hand smashing the window at Plascom Road, and had accepted by 3am that it needed treatment, which he went to the hospital to obtain."DNA evidence also links Tatters to the crime scene. A blue lighter found on the driveway of the house had DNA profiles from five people,  including Daniel Tatters."

Mr Heywood KC said: "To evaluate this, it was calculated that the DNA result obtained was 67,000,000 times more likely if the DNA tested originated from Daniel Tatters and four other, unknown, unrelated individuals than if the DNA tested originated from five unknown and unrelated individuals."

Whereas Tatters denies he was the hooded figure, Francis has stated he was hoodwinked into the deadly enterprise to pay off a debt. When arrested two months after the crime Francis told detectives he thought only the car on the drive would be set on fire and there would be no-one hurt. 

In a prepared statement, Francis, of Clare Street, Basford, said: "I owed someone under £800. I was struggling to pay the money back. 

"The person asked me if I did him one or two favours he would cancel the debt. "He asked me to take someone to Wolverhampton to burn out a car on the drive. I did not query why because as far as I was concerned my debt was getting paid. I was simply asked to take someone and act as the lookout.

"He got into my car. The other person had the jerry can which was in a black bin bag and he placed this in the passenger footwell. We left Ralph Drive and went on to Langley Drive where I parked up. I then walked to my house and got changed."

"I went back to my car and set off for Wolverhampton around midnight. The other guy had the address on his smartphone. He showed me the house and the car. He then said that he was going to torch the house. I told him that was not what I was told. I then started to retreat and walk back. The other guy carried on towards the house. My mind started to boggle and I started to get into a panic as this is not what I had agreed to.

"The other guy walked off. I then started to hear banging noises. I wanted to see what the noise was so I walked a few metres up and saw flames everywhere. I did not know if this was from the car or the house. I ran towards the park and back to the car."

The prosecutor: " We both got in the car and I drove off."He added: "I deny the allegation of murder. I did not have any prior knowledge that this other guy was going to torch the house. My understanding was that I was going to go with him in order to torch a car on the driveway. I did not have any intention to cause any serious harm or death to anyone. I also did not know the other person was intending to set the house on fire."

Both Tatters and Francis deny the charges, the trial continues.