Two-year-old son of a distraught father was tragically killed by a natural gas explosion. The incident occurred when a neighbor cut a pipe to sell for scrap metal. Today, he said that he wishes it had been him.
Youngster George Hinds was tragically killed May last year after ‘neighbour from hell’ Darren Greenham used an angle grinder to cut a gas pipe.
The street in Heysham in Lancashire was rocked by an explosion that killed the 2-year-old boy and injured four other people, including George’s parents Vicky Studholme (and Stephen Hinds). 55 homes were also affected by the explosion.
Greenham, 45, was today sentenced to 15 years in prison, after admitting charges of manslaughter, damaging a gas meter and theft of gas in August.
George’s devastated father gave an emotional statement in court today following the sentencing. George was dressed in a Paw Patrol tie with a Teddy he had salvaged from their wrecked home.
He explained that Darren Greenham cut a pipe for a few pounds and I had lost my son. It is a nightmare I relive each day.
Hinds was hurt in the fireball and said that he regretted being left in that rubble crying for help, but that he was rescued alive.
“I wish that it had been me that was killed and George could have been with his mummy to do the magic things three year-olds must be doing: going to the park and swimming, opening birthday presents, visiting Father Christmas.
A ‘neighbour from hell’ caused an enormous gas explosion which killed a ‘beautiful’ two-year-old boy, George Hinds (pictured)
Vicky Studholme and Stephen Hinds are the parents of George Hinds. They were outside the courtroom today after the sentencing for Darren Greenham.
Darren Greenham, 45, has been jailed for 15 years after pleaded guilty to the charges of manslaughter, damaging a gas meter and theft of gas in August
A gas explosion destroyed 55 property in the immediate vicinity and flattened 2 homes.
A blast rocked Heysham street in Lancashire. It killed George, two years old, and injured four others including Vicky Studholme’s parents and Stephen Hinds. 55 homes and businesses were also affected. Pictured: A children’s toy at the scene of the explosion
“I couldn’t bring myself to get in an ambulance with George, and the guilt that I feel is overwhelming. Having arrived at the hospital and seeing seven or eight people working on George’s naked body, to be then told by doctors that there was nothing more that could be done.
“The picture of George lying there, with his blanket over his neck and blue eyes will forever haunt me. The doctors were also overcome with tears. It was like I was in a terrible nightmare. I clearly remember shaking my head and trying to get myself awake.
On Wednesday, Preston Crown Court Recorder Robert Altham sentenced him to manslaughter. He said that Greenham was an obnoxious and disruptive neighbor.
“He did not care about the well-being of others who lived near him.”
George’s father held a Paw Patrol Toy while he watched from the public gallery along with George’s Mother and several other neighbors.
George’s parents were praised by the judge for maintaining their dignity.
Today’s sentencing by Lancashire Police revealed that Darren was a selfish, wicked man whose primary motivation for the explosion of fatalities was financial greed.
His reckless actions caused the death of a completely innocent toddler, destruction to several homes and £100,000’s worth of damage.
Darren’s loss will never be made up or compensated for by any sentence.
“No one should leave their child in danger at night. We are thinking of George and his loved ones.
Greenham showed no emotion and was sentenced to concurrent imprisonment for one month on charges of damaging the meters and taking gas.
Lancashire Police stated that Darren was a really selfish, wicked man whose main motive in the deadly explosion was financial greed.
A judge said ‘Mr Greenham was a selfish and disruptive neighbour’ as he sentenced him for manslaughter
Stephen Hinds was George’s father and he said at Preston Crown Court yesterday that Darren Greenham cut a pipe of gas to make a few pounds. He had lost my only son.
According to him, Greenham was a dependent drinker and drug user who made his neighbors’ lives miserable. He would sing until the wee hours of the morning and then insult George.
Mister Hinds wore a Paw Patrol tie in blue and brought his Paw Patrol toy into the witness room. He said that it made his blood boil.
Vicki Studholme, George’s mom, stated that she felt unsafe in her house because Greenham was a “neighbor from hell” who threatened her and her son with violence.
She stated that she felt the following: “I feel that even though we had reported it countless times, we were let down by both the council and police. And the tragic death of my precious baby boy could have been prevented.”
“After the explosion, I was trapped in the rubble. It was the most frightening thing in my entire life,” she said.
“This is until I reached the hospital to learn that George had passed away.
“Never in my entire life have I been so afraid.”
George’s father held a Paw Patrol Toy while he watched from the public gallery along with George’s Mother and several other neighbors.
At 2.36 am, an explosion destroyed Greenham’s Lancashire County Council home and badly damaged two neighboring terraced houses.
Locals who were shocked described hearing the sound of a bomb being detonated at the moment the massive explosion occurred. This caused debris to fall onto nearby roads and fields.
Timothy Cray KC (prosecutor) stated that, at the time of explosion, the council considered launching eviction proceedings following complaints from Greenham about his behavior.
According to him, ‘He was removing all the pipework that he could for several weeks because he knew where he was going and wanted to get as much money from it as possible.
Greenham received gas at no cost because the gas meters in the property were altered, the court was told.
After the explosion, a report by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), revealed that wooden floorboards were removed from the first-floor landing and that gas pipes had been deliberately cut.
45 year old Darren Greenham, (pictured), used an anglegrind to cut the pipe, causing the explosion that claimed the life of George Hinds from Lancashire.
According to the court, the 2.36am explosion that destroyed Greenham’s Lancashire County Council home and badly damaged two neighboring terraced houses was the cause of the destruction.
According to the report, it was most likely that they exploded between 20 and 40 minutes after being cut. There would also have been an unpleasant smell and audible sound before this.
Peter Glenser, KC, the defending said Greenham was sober in the first time since he had been in custody in anticipation of his sentence.
He stated, “With that sobriety came a clarity. That insight was something he did not have during all of his years of drinking and drug use. And that clarity has allowed him to see the terrible damage he caused.”
Greenham suffered severe injuries to his head and had most of his left hand lost in the blast. In August, Greenham pleaded guilty for manslaughter.