Undated handout photograph issued by Lancashire Police of Tiernan Darnton
A pupil has been convicted of murdering his 94-year-old grandmother by setting her curtain on hearth with a lighter.
Tiernan Darnton, 21, killed Mary Gregory – his stepfather’s mom – by beginning a blaze at her bungalow in Heysham, Lancashire in Might 2018. She was found beneath a desk within the conservatory and died 4 days later in hospital.
Proof proven to the jury included drawings discovered at Darnton’s dwelling tackle, outlining the ground plan of the 94-year-old’s bungalow. They contained labels together with ‘good hiding place’ and ‘fast exit’, in addition to references to needing a ‘good alibi’.
A packet of Tunnock’s teacakes and a can of Coca-Cola, purchased by Darnton from a close-by service station lower than two hours earlier than the fireplace, had been additionally found on the scene.
An inquest in 2018 beforehand dominated that Mrs Gregory was the sufferer of an unintentional hearth after Lancashire Fireplace and Rescue Service concluded probably the most possible trigger was a dropped or carelessly discarded cigarette and dominated out any third celebration involvement.
Nonetheless, police reopened the case in Might 2019 after Darnton advised a counselling session he used a lighter to set a curtain on hearth on on the tackle in Levens Drive.
In the course of the inquiry it emerged the scholar had made an identical confession a number of weeks after Mrs Gregory’s dying throughout a sport of Reality or Dare with pals, wherein he revealed his ‘darkest secret’.
He advised them: ‘I’ve a secret I have not advised anybody. I could have killed somebody.’
Police examination of Darnton’s telephone and laptop computer discovered web searches made after the fireplace together with ‘I am a assassin’, ‘I am a monster and I’ll hell’, ‘I wish to trigger evil’ and ‘Urge to kill once more’. A month earlier than the blaze – when Darnton was 17 – he additionally searched ‘Beneath 18 homicide’.
When pressed, Darnton stated he began the blaze as a result of he didn’t need Mrs Gregory, previously from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, to endure any longer from dementia, Preston Crown Court docket heard.
The defendant closed his eyes briefly after the jury foreman returned the unanimous verdict and his stepfather rushed out of the courtroom as different family members broke down in tears.
Mary Gregory, who died following a hearth at her bungalow in Heysham, Lancashire in Might 2018
Proof proven to the jury additionally included drawings discovered at Darnton’s dwelling tackle outlining the floorplan of Mrs Gregory’s bungalow
Proof that positioned Darnton at Mrs Gregory’s home across the time of the fireplace. This featured a packet of Turnock’s teacakes and a can of Coca Cola
Darnton’s pals didn’t consider him and he persuaded them to maintain quiet, however he advised a counsellor in Might 2019 a few buddy ‘who might ship me to jail cos of what he is aware of’.
He added that he had felt ‘highly effective’ at an occasion involving an individual who had died – considered Mrs Gregory’s funeral – as he ‘knew what had occurred and everybody else within the room did not’.
The feminine counsellor ended the session by saying to him ‘I am not likely clear what you are saying however I feel you are attempting to inform me you have killed somebody’, to which Darnton mouthed ‘Sure’.
Every week later he advised the counsellor and his stepfather, Chris Gregory, 66, that he had began the fireplace and the matter was later handed to the police by the counsellor, the court docket was advised.
Darnton, a former pupil at Kendal School and Lancaster & Morecambe School, was arrested at his household dwelling in Combermere Street, Heysham, in Might 2019.
Darnton, a former pupil at Kendal School and Lancaster & Morecambe School, was arrested at his household dwelling in Combermere Street, Heysham, in Might 2019
Darnton killed Mrs Gregory by beginning a blaze at her bungalow in Heysham, Lancashire
Giving proof at his trial, Darnton stated the case was ‘all a giant misunderstanding’ and his confessions had been false.
He stated he solely wished to impress his ‘edgy’ pals within the Reality or Dare sport and felt he needed to say one thing plausible, though he knew it was ‘tousled’.
Darnton stated his feedback to the counsellor that he had killed any individual had been ‘attention-seeking’ however denied saying he had set his step-grandmother’s home alight.
He claimed his Google searches had been associated to his curiosity in killers and true crime, and stated he didn’t even perceive on the time the true definition in regulation of homicide.
An investigator from Lancashire Fireplace and Rescue Service dominated in August 2018 that the possible explanation for the fireplace at Mrs Gregory’s dwelling was a cigarette and advised the jury his opinion was unchanged.
When pressed, Darnton stated he began the blaze as a result of he didn’t need Mrs Gregory, previously from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, to endure any longer from dementia, Preston Crown Court docket (pictured) heard
Nonetheless, a hearth examination professional for the prosecution stated the possibilities of that had been ‘extraordinarily distant’ and he believed the blaze was almost certainly began by bare flame ignition close to the entrance bed room window of the property.
The Crown stated makes an attempt had been additionally made to hamper any escape by Mrs Gregory, with a desk positioned in entrance of the conservatory doorways, the unplugging of a telephone cable and the dismantling of a smoke alarm.
Mr Gregory, giving proof for the defence, stated Darnton – whom he home-schooled – had been affected by despair for various years and was ‘affected by intrusive ideas which had been very, very disturbing’.
He advised the jury he would have taken Darnton to the police himself if he believed he had harm his mom in any manner.
Following the decision, Detective Chief Inspector Zoe Russo, from Lancashire Police, stated: ‘Darnton usually visited Mrs Gregory’s dwelling after her son took him beneath his wing at a younger age. Darnton would spend time at Mrs Gregory’s bungalow and never solely took benefit of Mrs Gregory’s form nature, he additionally used his entry to her dwelling to meticulously plan his murderous act.’
Sentencing will happen on Friday.