Heysham fatal fire: Investigator still believes cigarette the likely cause

Jim Stone said it was "highly unlikely" the fire was a deliberate act

A senior fire investigator has told a murder trial he still believes a 94-year-old woman's death was most likely an accident caused by a cigarette.

Tiernan Darnton, 21, allegedly "confessed" to starting the blaze weeks after the funeral of Mary Gregory, who died in Heysham, Lancashire, in 2018.

An investigator who attended the scene told Preston Crown Court it was "highly unlikely" it was a "deliberate act".

Mr Darnton denies murdering his grandmother.

Jim Stone, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service incident intelligence officer, said in his report in August 2018 there was no evidence of third party involvement.

At her inquest the coroner concluded Mrs Gregory's death was accidental after he received a report from Mr Stone stating the fire took hold when she dropped or attempted to dispose of a cigarette in the front bedroom of her bungalow on 28 May 2018.

However, police asked the coroner to review the matter following an alleged confession in May 2019 by Mr Darnton in a counselling session.

College student Darnton, the stepson of Mrs Gregory's son, Chris, 66, was later arrested at his family home in Combermere Road, Heysham, on suspicion of murder.

'Highly unlikely'

The trial has heard Mr Darnton told friends during a game of Truth or Dare how he killed Mrs Gregory.

Following his arrest, Mr Darnton told police that his Truth or Dare comments were not true and he neither deliberately or accidentally started the fire.

The jury heard Mr Stone's view on the cause of the fire remained unchanged and a deliberate ignition was not consistent with what he saw when he visited the scene in May 2018.

Giving evidence, he said: "I still feel a cigarette was the most likely cause of the fire."

He agreed with prosecutor David McLachlan QC that no cigarette butt or unsmoked cigarettes were found in the property.

Mr McLachlan asked: "Could a deliberate ignition be a realistic possibility in this case?"

Mr Stone replied it was "highly unlikely" but he agreed that now he could not "totally" discount it.

Earlier the trial heard a fire examination expert for the prosecution, forensic scientist Graham Baxter, who reviewed the case from photos, said the chance of a dropped or discarded cigarette starting the blaze was "extremely remote".

The trial continues.

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