Ex-cop blamed wife for 'ruining' him before fire

Malcolm Baker had stockpiled 125 litres of petrol and cancelled a home insurance policy before the fire, an inquest heard

A domestic abuse suspect told officers he was going through a "very horrible divorce" and accused his wife of trying to "ruin" him before he died, an inquest has heard.

Malcolm Baker, a retired Met Police detective, locked himself in his bedroom after police arrived at his Somerset home following a call from his wife Francesca Onody on 14 September 2022, a jury at Somerset Coroner's Court was told.

A fire then engulfed the thatched cottage near Dulverton. Mr Baker, 60, was not seen alive again.

Police had been to the house several times that summer due to domestic abuse and financial fraud allegations, but the inquest heard they were seeking more evidence before interviewing Mr Baker.

The couple - who had been married for 20 years, had two children and ran a security consultancy firm together - were in the process of divorcing when Mr Baker died.

The inquest heard he had stockpiled 125 litres of petrol in the thatched cottage and had cancelled a home insurance policy on the property two days before the fire.

Temporary Det Insp George Pettingell, from Avon and Somerset Police, was a sergeant at the time and supervised the officer who led the investigation.

He told the inquest police believed Ms Onody was "comfortable" dealing with the situation, and added: "The risk posed by him was minimal in terms of what physical risk he posed, which would have been our main concern.

"Was there a risk of serious physical harm? At that time, we didn't believe that to be the case."

He added that decisions were made based on the need to gather evidence, which included mobile phone records and financial information.

The plot of land where the cottage once stood

The inquest in Wells, Somerset had heard Mr Baker's family were concerned about his heavy drinking and mental health, and he had also begun storing petrol canisters at the property.

Avon and Somerset Police was called at 17:00 BST that evening and officers who went inside to speak to Mr Baker reported a smell of petrol and noticed liquid pouring through the ceiling into the lounge.

Body worn video camera footage from one of the officers who attended the property was played to the court.

The officer explained he knew Mr Baker was a former Met detective and told him he had the power to force entry to carry out a welfare check.

Mr Baker replied: "You don't need to force entry, I am fine. I am going through a very horrible divorce – it's a civil matter, not criminal."

He said he just needed to "work this through" with his solicitor, adding: "I don't need any police involvement, I am perfectly fine.

"My wife is being horrible, I don't need any help, I am fine. My wife is doing this tactically to ruin me."

It was shortly after the officer went back downstairs to speak with colleagues that they realised petrol was coming through the ceiling into the lounge and evacuated the house.

Mr Baker, who had barricaded himself in his bedroom, died in the subsequent fire, which destroyed the cottage.

John Donovan, a fire investigation manager with the Devon and Somerset Fire Service, said the blaze had started on the ground floor of the property and was likely caused by petrol fumes being ignited by electrical items.

The officer ruled out Mr Baker starting the fire himself as he was locked in his upstairs bedroom, or the involvement of anyone else as they would have injured by the immediate ignition of the petrol.

The inquest previously heard evidence from Ms Onody, who said Mr Baker's behaviour became "quite strange and more threatening", but he did not seek medical help because he did not want anything to compromise his security vetting.

The couple's adult daughter Gabriella Onody also spoke about Mr Baker's heavy drinking and declining mental health.

The inquest continues.