Sharon and Darren Greenham were badly wounded in the blast that killed two-year-old George Hinds. 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. Paul Marsh, 54, from Heysham also previously appeared in court but has since died of natural causes. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. 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. A home and a loving family. Little George died in a gas explosion at his family home in Heysham, near Morecambe, in May 2021. Greenham, who showed no emotion in the dock, was given concurrent sentences of one month for the charges of damaging the meter and theft of gas. Darren Greenham . contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Darren Greenham, 45, boasted to witnesses that . He lived his life without regard for the comfort of those who were unfortunate enough to live adjacent to him.. Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. I would like to thank the community for their help so far and I want to continue to appeal to anyone who may have information which could assist our investigation to come forward and contact us. A man has been sentenced for causing the death of toddler George Arthur Hinds who tragically died in a gas explosion at his family home in Heysham. Man admits killing boy, 2, in gas explosion that left street looking like a 'war zone'. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The judge listed anti-social behaviour including frequent bonfires, which prompted complaints seven or eight times a year. Police were called at 2.40am on the day in question, and were met with total devastation. Darren Greenham, 45, used an angle grinder to cut the pipe in the early hours of May 16 last year, causing the huge explosion which killed George Hinds. George's parents were taken to hospital but have since been discharged and are recovering as they reel from . Ms Studholme said: "After the explosion, being trapped in the rubble was the most scared I had ever been in my life. Read about our approach to external linking. Two-year-old George Hinds died in a gas explosion after his next-door neighbour Darren Greenham cut a copper pipe in his own home in Heysham, Lancashire, on May 16 last year. . They are "truly remarkable people", he said. Never ever have I felt so scared as in that moment of my life. Greenham returned to the dock on Wednesday dressed in a grey tracksuit and stared emotionless as he was jailed for manslaughter, criminal damage, and theft of gas. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 'Enquiries are ongoing into how and why the pipe came to be severed enquiries which are likely to take some considerable time. 'Even if you think the information you have is insignificant or irrelevant please tell us and we can be the judge.'. The subsequent explosion killed George Hinds, whose family lived . Darren Greenham caused a massive gas explosion by cutting gas pipes he intended to sell for scrap, Want all the latest cases and top crime stories from Lancs Live? 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. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Sharon and Darren Greenham were badly wounded and had to be pulled from the rubble. 'Every day this week has been a new challenge and to go from seeing my two-year-old beautiful boy from playing in the garden, to a week later planning his funeral in his new 3ft bed, is unreal. The court heard that Marsh visited the home on that . He had plagued the lives of his neighbours for five years before he took that of little George Hinds in May last year. 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. Four other people were also hurt when the two houses were destroyed and a third was damaged. Four other people were hurt in the explosion in Heysham, Lancashire. Darren Greenham previously admitted killing two-year-old George Hinds in a gas explosion in Lancashire; . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. They denied damaging a gas meter between January and May 2021 and the theft of gas between March and May 2021. 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. 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. Sharon Greenham, 51, and Darren Greenham, 44, entered not guilty pleas to a charge of manslaughter over the death . In a statement read to the court when the sentencing hearing started on Wednesday, Ms Studholme said: On May 15, 2021, I went to bed happy and content with my life. Darren Greenham, 45, was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to George's manslaughter. SIGN UP for our newsletter : Get the latest stories delivered straight to you He said: "With that sobriety has come a clarity and an insight that he didn't have through all his years of drink and drugs, and that clarity and insight has enabled him to see for the first time what terrible harm he has caused.". Lancashire Police have opened a criminal probe int the case after officers identified the cause of the explosion as a cut gas pipe. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The damage caused in the explosion affected 55 properties and the value of just those who answered police enquiries was in excess of half a million pounds. Darren Greenham used an angle grinder to cut pipes in his Mallowdale Avenue council house in Heysham, hoping to sell the parts to a scrap merchant to raise a few hundred pounds to buy a car. "Darren Greenham is a truly selfish and wicked man whose main motivation in the build-up to the fatal explosion was financial greed. Four other people were hurt in the explosion in Heysham, Lancashire. 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. Having considered the weight of evidence against him, Greenham pleaded guilty in August 2022. Darren Greenham, 45, was jailed for 15 years after causing a gas explosion which killed two-year-old George Hinds in Heysham, Lancashire. 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. Around 20 minutes later, a huge explosion rocked the street in Heysham, Lancashire . 2023 BBC. After the explosion, being trapped in the rubble was the most scared I had ever been in my life. Josh Halliday North of England correspondent. The gas meter was also found to have been bypassed in order to steal gas, Lancashire Police said. Greenham was handed a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter, damaging a gas meter, and theft of gas. HP10 9TY. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Greenham cut a gas pipe in his own property with an angle grinder, planning to steal the pipework, and bypassed the meter to . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. ", The family were praised for their dignity by Judge Robert Altham. 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Read about our approach to external linking. READ MORE: Man died for 20 seconds only for stranger to save his life on side of the road. Police have now completed their forensic examination of the scene and it has been handed over to the local authority, the force has said. George Arthur Hinds, aged two years and 10 months, who died following a suspected gas explosion in Heysham. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Never. I had everything I ever wanted. In addition to the loss of their son, George's parents were left 'without anything' as their home, car and possessions were all destroyed. He also accepted being under the influence of drink and drugs when he cut the pipes. It tragically continued to him taking the boys life after a drink and drug fuelled night of reckless stupidity. Toddler George Hinds died in the blast, which destroyed two homes and damaged another on Mallowdale Avenue on 16 May 2021. 'There are a lot of people who want to do good, but they don't know how to go about doing it, so by putting something in place, they always rise to the challenge. My little angel George sleep tight son, mummy and daddy is with you always. One on occasion, the fire spread to a border fence and another time smoke could be seen two miles away. Sentencing, Recorder Robert Altham said: Greenham was a selfish and disruptive neighbour. 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? Have your say, The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has also issued an appeal to dog owners urging them to keep their pets on short leads to protect wildlife this spring, Nicola Bulley TikTok ghoul says 'lesson learned' as he 'makes family donation', Curtis Arnold apologised to the family via his TikTok channel and admitted it "perhaps was bad timing to put that video online", Coleen Nolan is furious with Charles Bronson ahead of parole hearing, Snow to hit Lancashire next week as BBC Weather shares exact days it will fall, The BBC has forecast snow and sleet showers in the region next week with temperatures expected to remain low, The Ribble Valley town home to three of the top 50 gastropubs in the country, The Parkers Arms is the highest placed venue, at eight, Man killed himself in the street in front of his horrified girlfriend after she refused to let him in her house, David Freeman's partner Zoe Brett tried to save him but she was unable to cut him down from a fence over the road, Pensioner quoted 7k to replace unusable bathroom overtaken by black mould, The images of the 76-year-old's bathroom were shared on social media by James Anderson, founder of DEPHER, Accrington safe space for vulnerable women targeted in arson attack as police launch investigation, Lancashire Women's Accrington Hub has been the victim of arson, after a bin was set alight causing damage to the building, Audi driver dies in tragic collision after car veers off A-road carriageway, The driver, a man in his 70s, died a short time later at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. George was only two years and 10 months old when he tragically died in a gas explosion at his family home in Heysham, in May 2021. pic.twitter.com/b6oh5NoaDe. 5. To describe Darren as the neighbour from hell would be a massive understatement. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? What's he waiting for? Nothing I can say or do will bring him back, I really wish I could. Something went wrong, please try again later. The judge rejected the defences request for 25% credit, noting the guilty pleas came six month after the first hearing and six weeks before the trial was due to begin. Two homes completely collapsed as a result of the explosion, while another was seriously damaged. Timothy Cray KC, prosecuting, said that at the time of the explosion the council was considering taking eviction proceedings after a number of complaints about Greenham's behaviour. The force said it was now treating the probe as a criminal investigation and inquiries continue into how the pipe came to be cut. Georges father Stephen Hinds clutched a Paw Patrol toy as he watched the sentencing from the public gallery with Georges mother, Vicki Studholme, and a number of other neighbours. DeSantis won't say he's running. Comments have been closed on this article. Something went wrong, please try again later. A. He said it has "placed a strain on their relationship, how could it not". Darren Greenham, 45, used an angle grinder to cut the pipe at his home on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire, in May 2021. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 'The tears haven't stopped. The night before the funeral, Vicki asked me to put him in his bed - thats what we called his coffin - for one last time. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The tears havent stopped. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the explosion in Heysham, Lancashire, on May 16 last year after Darren Greenham, 45, used an angle grinder to cut the pipe while drunk and under the influence of drugs in the early hours of the morning. 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