Parole hearing for man guilty of Lancashire sibling fire deaths

A man who caused the death of four siblings in a house fire in Lancashire will go before the parole board next month.

Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and brothers Jordan, two, and Reece, 19, died as a result of the blaze in Freckleton in 2012.

Dyson Allen, then 19, was jailed for life with a minimum term of nine years and three months.

Allen is due to appear at a parole hearing in April.

In 2013 he was convicted of four counts of manslaughter, with jurors at Preston Crown Court clearing him of murder.

The court heard all four siblings had died from the effects of smoke inhalation, with Reece succumbing to the smoke after going back into the fire to try and save his brother and sisters.

Investigators said the blaze was started inside a wardrobe in the children's bedroom of the house in Lytham Road, while their mother was downstairs celebrating her birthday.

The court heard that Allen, a family friend, was alone upstairs before the blaze.

Forensic experts told the jury the fire could not have been an accident and that a naked flame had been held against clothes in a wardrobe for a few seconds.

Allen did not tell the court or police why he set the fire and claimed in court that it had been started by a candle which had fallen over.

A parole board spokesman said: "Decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

"A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims."

The spokesman said evidence from witnesses including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements are heard at the hearing.

He added: "The prisoner and witnesses are then questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.

"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority."

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]