Graham Heaps

Case information

Defendant: Graham Heaps (44-year-old labourer) Victim: Francesca Bimpson (3-year-old) Location: Everton district of Liverpool

Timeline

• 2 December 2008 — The Bimpson family's home in the Everton district of Liverpool was set on fire shortly after midnight; Francesca was trapped in a bedroom and later rescued by firefighters.
• 7 December 2009 — Graham Heaps was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 23 December 2008 — Francesca Bimpson died in hospital from complications as a result of her burns.
• December 8, 2009 — A report described the life sentence and the judge’s remarks.
• January 7, 2009 — A report described the parents’ statements about the fire and Francesca’s final moments.

The offence

On 2 December 2008, shortly after midnight, the Bimpson family's home was set on fire in what investigators determined to be arson. Francesca’s mother, father, brother, and two sisters were able to escape from the burning home, but three-year-old Francesca Bimpson was trapped in a bedroom. Firefighters later rescued her.

The court heard that petrol had been poured through the letterbox and ignited. Francesca was unable to escape the smoke and flames and hid underneath a blanket. She later suffered severe burns and died in hospital on 23 December.

The attack was described as a revenge attack at the home of his former girlfriend’s family, and authorities later arrested Graham Heaps in conjunction with the arson. Authorities alleged that the arson was an act of retaliation against the family after Francesca’s aunt ended a romantic relationship with him weeks earlier.

Investigation, arrest, and police actions

After Francesca died, Merseyside police launched a murder investigation, describing the killer as a “coward” and “callous”. Authorities later arrested Graham Heaps in conjunction with the arson, alleging retaliation after Francesca’s aunt ended a romantic relationship with him.

It emerged that Graham Heaps had stolen a sim card from Linda Skelhorne’s mobile phone and, according to the prosecution, he “bombarded” her sister Eleanor Skelhorne with obscene text messages and phone calls.

Two people were arrested after the arson attack—although one had been ruled out. The second man, a 43-year-old, was on police bail pending inquiries. He was not interviewed until a fortnight after the blaze because he was under police guard in hospital where he was being treated for burns.

Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Naylor of Merseyside police said the investigation had been traumatic for everyone involved and that the defendant had lied throughout the inquiry and the trial, and added:

"He [Heaps] has never once shown remorse for any of his actions. He has never shown any sympathy to any of the family at all for the trauma he has brought them. "I hope today's verdict and sentence has been some justice for Francesca and her family."

Trial

Graham Heaps had a career of petty crime and burglary stretching back 30 years to when he was a teenager.

At Liverpool Crown Court, a jury convicted Graham Heaps of murdering Francesca Bimpson. The conviction was based on the murder of the girl at her home in Liverpool.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Henriques, told Heaps:

"Your shocking, wicked act of setting fire to a family home with four children asleep in their beds was, in my judgment, motivated by sheer spite. "It was a vengeful and cowardly attack on a family of six in their own home. "They are a loving, close unit who did not deserve to be cursed by your unwelcome attention. "Your intent was, I believe, to burn – that is, to kill – this whole family in their beds as they slept."

The court heard that Heaps, who had had a relationship with one of Francesca’s aunts, Linda Skelhorne, started the fire deliberately. The couple were woken by smoke alarms.

A trial adjournment briefly occurred after Eleanor Skelhorne launched a verbal assault at Heaps while giving evidence.

The court heard Heaps had told police he had visited a takeaway on the night of the attack, yet CCTV footage disproved this claim.

Heaps was described as an onlooker at the scene and briefly entered the house in an apparent rescue attempt, during the course of which he set his trousers alight. The court heard that he was attempting to destroy petrol on his clothing, and that there was no good reason for him to be there.

Fire crews reached the house four minutes after receiving the emergency call. When Francesca was removed from the house, she was breathing faintly but had severe injuries. Heaps was found lying face down on the lawn outside the house. Nearby was an empty plastic fuel container that was on fire. He had suffered burns and was semi-conscious. He was later cautioned and arrested while in hospital.

Victims and injuries described during the offence

The Bimpson family home fire involved Francesca Bimpson and four other children asleep in their beds, with Francesca’s mother, father, and brother and two sisters also escaping.

Kieron Bimpson (37) jumped from a first-floor window, leaving his partner holding their 17-month-old baby, Anne-Marie. Kieron Bimpson was injured in the fall but attempted to rescue his eight-year-old daughter, Christina, who shared a bedroom with Francesca.

The children’s uncle Frankie Skelhorne, who lived nearby, heard about the fire and kicked the front door in to find his sister Linda Skelhorne in the main bedroom holding her baby “in a state of panic”. Christina lacked the strength to lift Francesca to safety from the front bedroom, and Kieron Bimpson was unable to reach her before the guttering gave way beneath him.

Another sibling, 14-year-old Kieron Bimpson, jumped from a bedroom window but was unable to help his sister.

Sentencing

Graham Heaps was sentenced to life imprisonment. The court said he would not be eligible for parole for at least 28 years.

Appeals

No appeal information was included.

Outcome

Graham Heaps was convicted of murdering Francesca Bimpson and sentenced to life imprisonment. He would be eligible for parole after serving 28 years.

Aftermath and victim impact

Some jurors covered their faces with their hands as victim impact statements describing the family’s grief were read out. One statement read:

"We are as a family trying to understand the murderous actions of a callous, vengeful, selfish coward who must be severely punished for his heinous crime," part of one statement read. "The endless flashbacks and helplessness, emotional and physical pain and suffering is almost too much to bear. We went to sleep on a December night looking forward to Christmas and awoke in hell."

Outside court, Mr Bimpson said:

"There will never be a fitting justice for our baby. Her life was cruelly and prematurely taken by a coward."

He also paid tribute to the tremendous courage and dignity of his other children and family. Francesca’s father said he was pleased with the 28-year jail term but added:

"A hundred years, a million years, would not be long enough."

Francesca’s parents described Francesca’s experience after the fire. Eleanor Skelhorne said:

“When I was outside I looked up at all the smoke coming from Francesca’s window. I knew she was dead. “I sometimes wish she had died in the fire because of the three weeks she went through after that. She suffered like hell in hospital. I’d speak to her and say ‘you’re going to be all right baby’. “She was trying to move her mouth. I knew she wasn’t going to make it. “We were a normal, happy family and Francesca was just so special. “If anybody knows anything, they must come forward. Word of mouth gets round and people brag about things. “But she’s dead now, Francesca’s gone.”

Kieron Bimpson said:

“Someone must know that the person responsible has robbed the world of an innocent angel. This is such an evil crime. “They have known there were children in the house and haven’t cared. “They put Francesca through torture. This was the attempted murder of the whole family – and tragically one of us died.”

The family said they lost almost all their possessions in the blaze and lived in a city hotel while their former home was examined, and they had to borrow clothes from relatives because their own were ruined in the blaze. They were told they could eventually move back into their home, but Francesca’s parents said the memories were too painful to return.