Huddersfield: Man jailed for life over house fire deaths

Samantha Mills and Reece Schofield were killed in the blaze in Huddersfield on 23 March 2021

A man who deliberately set mattresses alight at a house in West Yorkshire, causing a fire which killed two people, has been jailed for life.

Samantha Mills, 31, and Reece Schofield, 24, died after the blaze in Clare Hill, Huddersfield, on 23 March 2021. Four other people survived.

Following a 10-day trial, Craig Collier, 35, of Clare Hill, was convicted of two counts of murder.

At Leeds Crown Court, he was told to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison.

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During his trial, prosecuting barrister Peter Moulson QC told the court Collier started fires on the ground floor and first floor of the three-storey property, then fled to his room at a hotel opposite the house.

The six people inside the property were rescued by firefighters, who gained access by climbing through a roof window.

Ms Mills, a mother of five children, and Mr Schofield, who had a daughter, died in hospital from the effects of smoke inhalation on 26 and 29 March 2021 respectively.

The jury previously heard the derelict house was being used by the homeless at the time, with Collier caught on CCTV entering the property shortly before 05:30 GMT and leaving half an hour later.

'Despicable subterfuge'

Collier, who has 32 previous convictions, was also found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life and perverting the course of justice.

Sentencing Collier, Mr Justice Saini said he watched the fire take hold and called the fire brigade from the safety of his hotel room, which was "the commencement of a despicable subterfuge".

He told Collier he repeatedly lied to the 999 operator and later told police another man had gone into the house to start the fire, leading to his arrest.

"You created a story pointing away from you and at a wholly innocent man as the perpetrator," the judge said.

Craig Collier, 35, who was found guilty of two counts of murder, was also convicted of arson with intent to endanger life and perverting the course of justice

In impact statements read to court the families of the victims said their trauma was compounded by Covid rules preventing them being allowed inside the hospital to see their relatives.

Lisa Schofield, mother of Reece, told the court "there are no words" to describe her pain.

"All I have now is memories, days spent by his grave and nightmares due to the way that he died," she said.

Judge Saini told Collier "it will never be known" why he started the fires, with those trapped inside particularly vulnerable due to alcohol and drug use.

Before closing the hearing, the judge paid tribute to the "outstanding bravery" of the firefighters who entered the smoke-filled building with no visibility.