Residents of Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire, were woken in the early hours of May 16 by an explosion which left nearby streets and fields covered with debris. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. It is not know what caused the ignition, but the quantity of gas was so great that only a light switch would have been needed. Sign up. George Hinds was killed in the blast which destroyed two homes and damaged another on Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham, at 02:45 BST on 16 May 2021. We would go and see him every day and hold him. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The court heard the explosion, which happened at about 02:35 BST on 16 May 2021, destroyed the council-owned property where Greenham lived. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Darren Greenham, 44, of Bowness Road, Lancaster, admitted manslaughter, criminal damage and theft at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, Grants fund learning and land management at Cumbrian farm, Construction of Burnley 11m commercial estate to start in June, Northern lights spotted across South Cumbria, Blackpool and Fylde College defends facebook post about the dissection of a pregnant shark which was branded 'senseless and cruel', Fleetwood Market undergoing 2m upgrade plus 'energy efficient' works, Burnley poacher arrested after speeding near Turf Moor and crashing car containing deer carcass, Human error to blame for deadly train crash, says Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Something went wrong, please try again later. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. His family lived in the neighbouring property in Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham, Lancashire. 'Nothing I can say or do will bring him back, I really wish I could. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Eli Lilly caps monthly insulin costs in US at $35, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine. The court heard that Marsh visited the home on that . Read about our approach to external linking. George's mum Vicky Hinds was trapped for two hours before being pulled from the rubble. "This included sickening abuse and insults directed at his neighbours, setting bonfires in his garden and dousing items in petrol, regular late-night DIY activities and more. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) worked hard with Lancashire police to build a strong case including eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence linking Greenham to the grinder and copper pipe in the property and CCTV evidence showing the explosion and the movements of the occupants of 20 Mallowdale Avenue. Detective Chief Inspector Jane Webb, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: My thoughts first and foremost remain with Georges family and loved ones at this time, as well as those others affected by this incident. Never ever have I felt so scared as in that moment of my life. Darren Greenham, 44, admitted manslaughter and theft offences after George Hinds perished in a fireball that ripped through his family's home in Heysham, Lancashire, on May 16 last year. The tears havent stopped. His wife Sharon Greenham, 51, is due to stand trial on October 4 charged with the same . We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Details of the case were laid out at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday (October 4) before Georges parents Stephen Hinds and Vicky Studholme spoke of the devastation and trauma he had caused by killing their little boy. 04 October 2022. Never ever have I felt so scared as in that moment of my life.. "Even if you think the information you have is insignificant or irrelevant please tell us and we can be the judge. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the blast in May 2021, Emergency workers at the scene of the gas explosion last May, Two houses collapsed and a third was seriously damaged in the explosion. "We have no words to describe how we feel and just want time to ourselves to come to terms with what has happened. Pictured here during his loutish days which he spent terrorising neighbours on Heyshams Mallowdale Avenue, Darren Greenham today (October 5) cut a different figure as he sat in the dock at Preston Crown Court. He lived his life without regard for the comfort of those who were unfortunate enough to live adjacent to him., Speaking outside court after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Jane Webb said: Darren Greenham is a purely selfish, self-centred, ignorant man whose blind stupidity of thinking that he could sell gas pipes to just make a bit of money was completely reckless with no regard for anybodys safety. She then 'had to cope with the mounting dread of what happened to her son'. The explosion that took place on May 16, at around 2.36am, destroyed Greenham's property and damaged 55 others. The night before the funeral, Vicki asked me to put him in his bed - thats what we called his coffin - for one last time. Friday 11 February 2022 15:42, UK Image: George Hinds . The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 4 October 2022, 0:51 pm. Sharon Greenham, 51, and 44-year-old Darren Greenham pleaded not guilty at Preston Crown Court to manslaughter, damaging a gas . George's parents, who described him as a "beautiful little angel", continued to be supported by specially trained officers, police said. This resulted in an explosion, destroying several homes, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage, and killing an innocent toddler. 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', Stephen later shared a video of him reading his son a book about animals with the caption: 'My little boy. In the early hours of May 16, 2021, 45-year-old Darren Greenham cut the pipe using an angle grinder, which caused the huge explosion that killed the little boy, George Hinds. Firefighters, police and paramedics scrambled to Mallowdale Avenue at around 2.30am after residents were woken by the sound of a blast. Greenham showed no emotion in the dock as he was given concurrent sentences of one month for the charges of damaging the meter and theft of gas. Darren Greenham, 44, has admitted charges of manslaughter and theft after George Hinds, 2, died in a massive explosion caused by a gasline being cut in Heysham last year. Families had to be evacuated and to this day Georges parents have left living in a caravan, reliant on the generosity of others, having had to borrow money for the first time in their lives. A gas investigator from the health and safety executive carried out an extensive investigation into the explosion and confirmed that a main 22mm pipe under the floorboard at the top of the stairs had been deliberately cut and this had caused the explosion between 20 and 42 minutes after the gas began to escape. "George was particularly close to my mum, she looked after him, she idolised him and he idolised her. Four other people were hurt in the explosion in Heysham, Lancashire. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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Sentencing, Recorder Robert Altham said: Greenham was a selfish and disruptive neighbour. Timothy Cray KC, prosecuting, said Greenham had been facing eviction proceedings and had been cutting pipes in the property with the intention of selling them for scrap. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Published: 07:28 GMT, 26 May 2021 | Updated: 09:48 GMT, 26 May 2021. Darren Greenham will spend 15 years in prison for causing the death of George Hinds, Want all the latest cases and top crime stories from Lancs Live? He adds that expert evidence explained the smell and sound of the gas leak would have been obvious. Darren Greenham, 45 . In December 2021, Sharon Greenham, 52, and Darren Greenham, 44, both of Ambleside Avenue, Lancaster, were . Darren Greenham used an angle grinder to cut the pipe at his home on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire, in May 2021. I'm emotional', Moment notorious prisoner Charles Bronson dances naked outside cell, Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson speaks to son in new documentary, Steve Baker calls Northern Ireland deal a 'historic moment', Bakhmut in ruins as fighting in the Ukrainian city drags on, Travelers show off decked out RV and tours the world full time. 'People have really pulled together as a community, it's really humbling. Read about our approach to external linking. At 5.15am Sunday morning my little boy was pronounced dead after two hours 15 minutes trying to bring him back. Greenham had cut a gas pipe in his own house while drunk and under the influence of drugs in the early hours of the morning and planned to sell the pipework, the court heard. Lancashire Constabulary were called to reports of an explosion on Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham, at around 2.40am on May 16 2021. . In March 2021, the gas meter in the property was badly damaged and soon after copper pipes could be seen all over the house having been removed "seemingly at random". Sentencing him for manslaughter at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday, Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham said: Mr Greenham was a selfish and disruptive neighbour. George's parents, who live in neighbouring 18 Mallowdale Avenue, have since been discharged from hospital. George Hinds was killed in a gas explosion caused by Darren Greenham, Emergency workers at the scene of the gas explosion in which two-year-old George Hinds died. His parents were also injured in the incident. A man who cut a gas pipe to sell for scrap, causing a blast in which a two-year-old boy died, has been jailed. Couple Appear In Court Charged With Murdering Elderly Woman & Stealing 14,000, "Neighbour From Hell" Darren Greenham Jailed For Manslaughter After Gas Explosion Killed Toddler, Darren Greenham, 45, was jailed for 15 years for causing the death of 2-year-old George Hinds, SUBSCRIBE TO GET EVERY STORY TO YOUR MAILBOX. Appearing in the dock at Preston Crown Court earlier this week (5th October), Darren Greenham, 44, was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to George's manslaughter. Detective Chief Insp Jane Webb, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: 'My thoughts first and foremost remain with George's family and loved ones at this time, as well as those others affected by this incident. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The "neighbour from hell" Darren's family lived in the adjacent property in . The explosion, in Heysham, Lancashire, also left neighbours Stephen Hinds and Vicki Studholme injured and killed their two-year-old son George. 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