A 54-year-old man has been found guilty of murder following a horrific and random arson attack that claimed the life of an 82-year-old pensioner in Wednesbury. Andrew Gorrell, of Moss Grove, Saltney, was convicted at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday afternoon after jurors took less than four hours to reach their unanimous verdict. The court heard how Gorrell travelled from North Wales to the West Midlands in May last year before embarking on a series of deliberate acts that resulted in the death of John Edwards and left several family members with life-altering injuries.
The fatal incident occurred in the early hours of 11 May 2023 at the Edwards’ family home on Holyhead Road. CCTV evidence presented during the trial showed Gorrell loitering in the area and appearing near the property shortly before the blaze began. Prosecutors detailed how Gorrell intentionally moved a wheelie bin and positioned it directly against the front door of the terraced house before setting its contents alight. This strategic placement not only ensured the fire would spread rapidly into the structure but also effectively blocked the primary escape route for the occupants sleeping inside.
John Edwards suffered catastrophic burns in the fire and passed away in hospital on 25 May 2023. His wife, Doreen, and their two adult sons, Carl and Mark, were also present during the attack. Mark Edwards sustained severe burns to his face, hands, and eyes while attempting to alert his parents and brother, while Carl was forced to escape through a rear window. Investigators from the West Midlands Police homicide team noted that Gorrell had no prior connection to the Edwards family or the Wednesbury area, describing the targeting of their home as utterly random.
A particularly chilling detail noted by the prosecution was Gorrell’s attire at the time of the offence. He was captured on CCTV wearing a Chicago Bulls jacket and a T-shirt promoting the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, which depicts a character who was burned alive. Following the fatal blaze, Gorrell continued through the streets of Wednesbury and admitted to setting three additional fires in various commercial and council waste bins that same morning.
While the defence argued that Gorrell’s actions were the result of chaotic behaviour while heavily intoxicated, the prosecution successfully maintained that he was capable of thinking through the consequences of his actions. In addition to the murder conviction, Gorrell was found guilty of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, and arson with intent to endanger life