家庭照片：皮尔森家的四个孩子在汽油弹袭击中丧生，他们的母亲也在20个月后去世。
Family photos The four Pearson children died during the petrol bomb attack, and their mother died 20 months later 6 October 2026 A man who murdered a mother and her four children in a firebomb attack had been arrested and released by police a fortnight before, despite a judge having told him he was on his "last chance", an inquest has heard.
2026年10月6日，一项验尸调查显示：一名用汽油弹杀害一名母亲及其四个孩子的男子，在案发两周前曾被警方逮捕并释放。当时法官已明确告知他这是“最后的机会”。
Zak Bolland, then 23, left a police station after giving a 12-minute "no comment" interview for breaking windows at the home of Michelle Pearson, 37, and her young family in Walkden, Salford, Greater Manchester, on 26 November 2017.
当时23岁的扎克·博兰在2017年11月26日因砸碎大曼彻斯特郡索尔福德市沃克登地区米歇尔·皮尔森家及其幼子们的住宅窗户而被警方带走。在接受长达12分钟的询问时，他始终保持沉默、一言不发。
Bolland's record was not checked at the time and he was told no further action would be taken, Bolton Coroner's Court heard.
博兰的犯罪记录当时并未被核查，警方告知他不会采取进一步行动。博尔顿验尸法庭获悉了这一情况。
Thirteen days later he petrol bombed the house, killing the children and severely burning their mother, who died 20 months later.
仅仅13天后，博兰便向该住宅投掷汽油弹，导致四个孩子丧生，母亲米歇尔身受重伤，最终于20个月后不幸离世。
Demi, 15, her brother Brandon, eight, and seven-year-old sister Lacie, who were sleeping in a front bedroom, all died in the blaze.
当时正在前屋卧室熟睡的15岁的黛米、8岁的哥哥布兰登以及7岁的妹妹莱西，均葬身火海。
Michelle suffered 68% burns to her body and "clung on to life" until she died on 25 August 2019.
米歇尔全身68%的皮肤被烧伤，她顽强地“挣扎求生”，直至2019年8月25日才撒手人寰。
On the second day of an eight-week inquest, police who had been involved with the family before the fatal attack were questioned.
在这场为期八周的验尸调查第二天，曾在该惨案发生前与这家人有过接触的警察们接受了质询。
PC John Worthington of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) told the inquest he went to the house after the windows were smashed and Bolland was named as the culprit.
大曼彻斯特郡警局的约翰·沃辛顿警官在调查中称，窗户被砸碎后他曾前往现场，当时博兰已被指认为肇事者。
Police handout Zak Bolland (left) and David Worrall were found guilty of the murders of Michelle Pearson and her four children Back at the police station he wrongly completed paperwork saying house-to-house inquiries had been completed, when in fact he had only spoken to a passer-by, the inquest heard.
据法庭记录，回到警局后，沃辛顿错误地填写了相关文件，声称已完成了逐户走访调查，而实际上他仅与一名路人交谈过。
Worthington was also questioned about why CCTV or forensic opportunities to investigate the windows being smashed were not followed up.
此外，沃辛顿还被问及为何未利用监控录像或法医手段对窗户被砸事件展开进一步调查。
He said he was told by another officer that Michelle did not support any prosecution – which was not correct.
他表示，当时另一名警官告诉他米歇尔本人并不希望提起诉讼——但这一说法并不属实。
The same day Bolland sent text messages to her threatening he would firebomb her house, a threat the police paperwork said "should be taken seriously" – but Worthington said he was not aware of that information either.
就在博兰发短信威胁要纵火焚烧她的房子当天，警方文书中明确指出这一威胁“应当被严肃对待”；但沃辛顿称自己对此信息也并不知情。
Two days later, Worthington interviewed Bolland under caution after he surrendered himself to a local police station.
两天后，博兰向当地警局自首，沃辛顿随即对他进行了有警员在场情况下的讯问。
Bolland, accompanied by a solicitor, gave no comment to questions and Worthington said he could not remember if he asked for his phone to check for the alleged firebombing threats.
博兰在律师陪同下对各项提问均保持沉默。沃辛顿表示，他记不清自己是否曾要求查看博兰的手机以核实那些所谓的纵火威胁信息。
Worthinton told the court another officer told him Michelle, the key witness, was unwilling to go to court to prosecute Bolland, so no further action was taken.
沃辛顿在法庭上称，另有警员告诉他，关键证人米歇尔不愿出庭指控博兰，因此警方未采取进一步行动。
Worthington told the court, "back then" some crimes, "would just get closed." Sophie Cartwright KC, representing Salford City Council, said Bolland was already serving a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving and taking a vehicle without consent when he attacked the family's home.
沃辛顿还称，“当时”有些刑事案件“就这样不了了之了”。代表索尔福德市议会的资深律师索菲·卡特赖特指出，博兰在实施这起纵火袭击前，就因危险驾驶及未经许可擅自驾车而正在服缓刑。
Bolland had breached the suspension and been given a "last chance" by a judge on 10 November – a month before the fatal arson attack.
此前博兰曾违反缓刑规定，法官于11月10日——也就是这起致命纵火案发生前一个月——给了他“最后一次机会”。
Reviewed by nobody The inquest heard Bolland's previous conviction history and suspended sentence had not been checked when he was interviewed by police.
调查过程中发现，警方在讯问博兰时并未核查其过往犯罪记录及缓刑情况。
The decision to not take action against Bolland had left Michelle "horrified", but he returned to her home gloating, calling her a "grass" and a "rat." She again called police and told them they had got it wrong and that she would support a prosecution.
未对博兰采取任何措施的决定令米歇尔“惊恐万分”；然而博兰却得意洋洋地回到她家中，骂她是“告密者”“叛徒”。米歇尔再次报警，称警方之前的判断有误，并表示愿意协助起诉博兰。
But the inquest heard the decision to not to prosecute Bolland was not reviewed by anyone at GMP.
但调查结果显示，曼彻斯特警方无人对“不起诉博兰”这一决定进行过复核。
In 2018 Bolland and his accomplice David Worrall, 28, were both given four life sentences and told they would serve a minimum of 40 and 37 years respectively for the petrol bombing.
2018年，博兰及其同伙、28岁的大卫·沃拉尔因实施这起汽油纵火案，双双被判处终身监禁，且分别至少需服刑40年和37年。
Bolland's girlfriend, Courtney Brierley, 20, was jailed for 21 years for four counts of manslaughter.
博兰的女友、20岁的考特尼·布里尔利则因四项过失杀人罪被判处21年监禁。
Their trial heard attacks on her home arose out of an escalating feud between Bolland and one of her sons.
庭审过程中，法庭获悉对她住所的袭击源于博兰与其一个儿子之间日益激化的矛盾。
She had called police on at least five occasions in the two weeks before the firebombing and had begged to be re-housed.
在遭燃烧弹袭击前的两周里，她至少五次报警，并恳请当局为她安排新的住处。调查仍在进行中。
The inquest continues.