Darren Greenham used an angle grinder to cut the pipe at his home on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire, in May 2021. Two other people a man aged 44 and a woman aged 50 - were taken to hospital with injuries described as critical following the blast. 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. On the night of the explosion, Greenham had arranged for the gas supply to be turned off by another person. 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The court heard how at the time of cutting the pipes, Greenham was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. 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. . This man has been jailed. He also pleaded guilty to theft from a meter/automatic . 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 . News you can trust since 1837. . She said: "After the explosion, being trapped in the rubble was the most scared I had ever been in my life. In March 2021, the gas meter in the property was badly damaged and soon after copper pipes could be seen all over the house having been removed "seemingly at random". A 52-year-old woman from Lancashire will face a trial over an allegation of theft of gas at a later date. Mr Hinds delivered his own statement, placing on the stand a pillow which belonged to his boy and was recovered from the rubble. . Little George Hinds died in the gas explosion after being trapped in the rubble Credit: MEN Media. Wed 5 Oct 2022 09.22 EDT. He lived his life without regard for the comfort of those who were unfortunate enough to live adjacent to him.. One neighbour described Greenham as an "accident waiting to happen". 'There is a lot of goodwill in Morecambe.'. Emergency services were called to the scene of the blast in Heysham . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Recorder Robert Altham said it was a miracle no-one else was killed, adding the defendant was likely unaware of the obvious smell and sound of the gas leak due to being intoxicated. Read about our approach to external linking. Darren Greenham, 45, caused the death of two-year-old George Hinds in a gas explosion in Heysham, Lancashire, in May 2021, after cutting the copper pipes to sell as scrap. The judge said: "Mr Greenham was a selfish and disruptive neighbour. A child's toy covered in debris was seen lying amid the wrecked homes' rubble after the two couples were pulled from the ruins. George Arthur Hinds, aged two years and 10 months, who died following a suspected gas explosion in Heysham. 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. The gas meter was also found to have been bypassed in order to steal gas, Lancashire Police said. Pictured here during his loutish days which he spent terrorising neighbours on Heysham's Mallowdale Avenue, Darren Greenham today (October 5) cut a different figure as he sat in the dock at Preston Crown Court. Stephen posted a heartfelt tribute to his little boy on Facebook, according to The Sun. To describe Darren as the neighbour from hell would be a massive understatement. 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Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Greenham had been remanded in custody since admitting a manslaughter charge in August, six months after he first pleaded not guilty and just weeks before a trial was due to begin. 04 October 2022. Darren Greenham, 45, was jailed for 15 years after causing a gas explosion which killed two-year-old George Hinds in Heysham, Lancashire. HEYSHAM, LANCASHIRE: Darren Greenham, 45, who cut a gas pipe to sell for scrap, caused a massive gas explosion that took the life of a two-year-old boy. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, 'Neighbour from hell' was behind fatal explosion, Man admits manslaughter of boy, 2, killed in blast, Park bench memorial for young gas blast victim, Boy killed and four adults injured in explosion, 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. Darren Greenham, 45, of Lancaster's Ambleside Avenue, was sentenced to 15 years in prison at Preston Crown Court. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the blast in May 2021, Emergency workers at the scene of the gas explosion last May, Two houses collapsed and a third was seriously damaged in the explosion. The court heard how he would regularly play loud music and taunt his neighbours and was dependent on drugs and alcohol. A fundraiser set up to help the residents of Mallowdale Avenue has now brought in more than 50,000. George Hinds, two, was killed in the explosion in Heysham, Lancs, back in May. She then 'had to cope with the mounting dread of what happened to her son'. 'Our focus now is on trying to establish how and why the pipe inside No. Pictured: Married couple Darren, 44, and Sharon Greenham, 50, are fighting for their lives in hospital after a gas explosion at their home in Heysham, Lancashire, which police investigators believe was caused by pipe which had been cut in their house, George Arthur Hinds, aged two years and 10 months, was killed by the blast on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire, and police have since launched a criminal investigation after it was discovered a gas pipe had been cut in one of the homes, An aerial view of the devastation caused by the gas explosion in Heysham which has completely destroyed two homes, Pictured: Emergency workers at the scene of the gas explosion, in which two-year-old George Arthur Hinds was killed and Darren and Sharon Greenham were seriously injured in Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham, Lancashire, on Sunday May 16. Please everyone don't take life for granted and look after your kids and yourselves. The judge said she and husband Stephen Hinds are still living in a caravan and had to borrow money after losing their home and all their possessions. contact the editor here. ', Pictured: the ruins of two terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham completely destroyed by an explosion, The scene on the following morning at Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham after a gas explosion completely destroyed both houses, Pictured: The homes in Heysham (pictured in September 2016) where married couple Darren and Sharon Greenham lived (right) and Stephen Hinds and Vicki Studholme lived with their two-year-old son George (left) in Mallowdale Avenue, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Chaos at schools after pupils protest over uniform and toilet policies, TikTok video shows Unity Academy Blackpool pupils protesting, Mallorca sees significant snowfall in unseasonable freak weather, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Police: Urgent search for Constance Marten's missing baby, Steve Baker: Brexit 'cost me my mental health. Never. 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. Today, Darren Greenham, 45, was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to Georges manslaughter. The subsequent explosion killed George Hinds, whose family lived . Sharon Greenham, 51, and Darren Greenham, 44, pleaded not guilty at Preston Crown Court to the manslaughter of George Hinds. A couple are fighting for their lives after a gas pipe that police say was cut in their home sparked an explosion which killed a two-year-old boy in the house next door. DeSantis won't say he's running. Fuelled with petrol and causing thick black smoke, one of these would require firefighters to attend after spreading out of control to a border fence and another could be seen two miles away. Timothy Cray KC, prosecuting, said Greenham had been facing eviction proceedings and had been cutting pipes in the property with the intention of selling them for scrap. A police investigation found the cause of the explosion to be a gas pipe which had been cut. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. A gas blast which left a toddler dead was caused by a severed pipe in . 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. 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. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? George Hinds was killed in the blast which destroyed two homes and damaged another on Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham, at 02:45 BST on 16 May 2021. Darren Greenham, 45, had cut a pipe to 'make a bit of money'. Little George died in a gas explosion at his family home in Heysham, near Morecambe, in May 2021. . A home and a loving family. Mum who shared contents of 3.09 Too Good To Go Morrisons box branded 'shameful' for buying 'out of date food', "Thats totally not acceptable, never heard anything so shameful in my life", DWP state pension contributions will 'still be considered' after looming Government deadline, Phone lines have been busy as people have taken action to top up their contributions, Preston thug strangled his own cousin before his mum punched him back, John Wilcock then threatened to kill her if she didn't retract her statement, Camera Club: Show us your best dog photos for the chance to be crowned March's winner, Share your pictures in Lancs Live's monthly photo competition, Should dogs have to be kept on leads in public spaces? The night before the funeral, Vicki asked me to put him in his bed - thats what we called his coffin - for one last time. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The court heard Greenham, who suffered a serious head injury and lost much of the use of his right hand in the explosion, had been facing eviction proceedings when he cut the pipes in the property. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The court heard a total of 55 properties were damaged in the blast, which happened at 2.36am. 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. We would go and see him every day and hold him. 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. It left two neighbouring terraced houses severely damaged and a further 55 properties in the area were also affected. George's parents, who described him as a "beautiful little angel", continued to be supported by specially trained officers, police said. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Greenham, who suffered a serious head injury and lost much of the use of his right hand in the explosion, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, damaging a gas meter and theft of gas in August. Oblivious to what experts said would have been an obvious smell and sound of gas, he continued cutting even after causing the leak which led to the explosion. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. "We have no words to describe how we feel and just want time to ourselves to come to terms with what has happened. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after the explosion found wooden floorboards had been removed from the first floor landing of the house and gas pipes had been cut deliberately. The house, the car, my possessions can all be replaced but George never can be. Published: 07:28 GMT, 26 May 2021 | Updated: 09:48 GMT, 26 May 2021. He was forced to listen as Recorder Robert Altham outlined his dangerous behaviour which led to the death of much loved toddler George Hinds. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It was caused by Greenham cutting live gas pipes and left George dead and several others hurt. 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. 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