Victim burned alive in firebombed Wolverhampton home as mum barely escapes, court hears

A horrifying blaze that tore through a family home in Wolverhampton has been described in court as a deliberate and cold-blooded act of arson, intended to trap and kill the man inside. The attack claimed the life of 26-year-old Akashdeep Singh and left his mother with devastating injuries that will scar her forever—physically and emotionally.

Prosecutors told the court that Daniel Tatters and Dale Francis launched the firebomb-style assault in the early hours of June 25 last year. Their alleged goal was chilling: to kill. The men are accused of smashing a window of Singh’s home before dousing the interior with an inflammable liquid and setting it ablaze—while Singh and his mother slept upstairs.

The court heard how flames rapidly engulfed the property, transforming it into a fiery prison. Singh was unable to escape and succumbed to the intense heat and smoke. His mother, though alive, suffered life-changing injuries as she narrowly made it out of the inferno. Her desperate attempts to save her son ended in heartbreak as she watched the house—her home—turn to ash.

“This was not a spontaneous act,” prosecutors stated. “It was a premeditated, targeted attack designed to trap and kill.”

The horror of that night continues to haunt the neighbourhood. Witnesses recalled waking up to the sound of shattering glass and screams echoing through the early morning darkness. By the time emergency crews arrived, flames were roaring through the home and thick black smoke billowed into the sky.

Neighbours stood helpless as firefighters battled the blaze. Some tried to reach Singh, but the inferno had already made the house inaccessible. “We could hear the mother screaming—she kept calling his name,” one local resident said, still shaken by the memory.

As the trial unfolds, jurors are hearing more about the alleged planning behind the attack. Evidence includes surveillance footage, mobile phone data, and forensic analysis of the accelerant used to start the fire. While the motive remains under investigation, the prosecution insists the intent was murder.

The community has been left traumatised by the crime. Flowers and candles were placed outside the charred remains of the property in tribute to Singh, described by friends as a kind and quiet man with a promising future. His sudden and violent death has stirred deep anger and sorrow throughout Wolverhampton.

Many are now calling for tougher sentences and stronger deterrents for arson-related crimes. “This wasn’t just fire—it was murder by fire,” said one community member. “They didn’t just take a life; they tried to destroy a family.”

Tatters and Francis both deny the charges of murder and attempted murder. As the trial continues, the court will examine their movements leading up to the fire, their communications, and any connections to Singh. The outcome may offer closure to a family still grappling with unbearable loss.

Justice for Akashdeep Singh now hangs in the balance. As the evidence mounts, the courtroom remains a place of tension and grief—a reflection of the wider community’s search for answers and accountability in the face of such calculated cruelty.

This wasn’t an accident. It was a house turned into a weapon. And for one family in Wolverhampton, it changed everything.