Overview
- A petrol‑bomb attack on 11 December 2017 on a house on Jackson Street, Walkden killed four of Michelle Pearson’s children and the same blaze led to Michelle Pearson’s death about 21 months later.
- Two men, Zak Bolland and David Worrall, were convicted and jailed for the children's murders in 2018 and later found guilty of Michelle Pearson’s murder in 2021, while Courtney Brierley was jailed for manslaughter.
- Senior Coroner Timothy Brennand opened the inquest at Bolton Coroners Court on 5 October 2026 and said the hearings will run for up to eight weeks to examine preventability and agency responses.
- Family statements read at the start of the inquest say Michelle Pearson repeatedly asked to be rehoused, described feeling 'beyond stressed', and that the children were 'petrified' after a run of threats, vandalism, a sealed letterbox and a bin set alight.
- The inquest will systematically review contacts with Greater Manchester Police, Salford Council and housing services before the attack and may produce findings or recommendations about how those agencies managed the risk.