Prestatyn arsonist gets 30 years

The families of those who died in the Prestatyn arson attack which left five dead reacted today to Melanie Smith's life sentence.

Jonty Lewis, the mother of four-year-old Bailey and two-year-old Skye who were killed by Melanie Smith when she set fire to a pushchair, wrote in a statement:

The judge who today sentenced Melanie Smith to 30 years in prison for murdering five members of a family at a flat in Prestatyn has described the attack as "exceptional wickedness'.

Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, her four-year-old nephew, Bailey, and two-year-old niece, Skye, were trapped in their upstairs flat and died in the attack in October last year.

Firefighters managed to rescue Ms Shiers's 15-month-old son Charlie and his father Liam Timbrell, 23, but they died in hospital.

Smith, who lived in the flat below the victims in Maes y Groes was found guilty of five counts of murder by a jury at Mold Crown Court last Tuesday.

Melanie Smith who murdered five members of a family, including three young children, when she set fire to her neighbour's pushchair at a flat in Prestatyn has been jailed for at least 30 years.

The 43 year-old, started the devastating blaze because she was angry the pushchair had been left in a shared hallway.

Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, her four-year-old nephew, Bailey, and two-year-old niece, Skye, were trapped in their upstairs flat and died in the attack in October last year.

Firefighters managed to rescue Ms Shiers's 15-month-old son Charlie and his father Liam Timbrell, 23, but they died in hospital.

Smith, who lived in the flat below the victims in Maes y Groes was found guilty of five counts of murder by a jury at Mold Crown Court last Tuesday.

Mr Justice Griffith Williams, who presided over the trial at Mold Crown Court, told the court he wanted "time to reflect" before passing sentence, though he warned Smith her life sentence was fixed by law.

During the three-week trial, the jury heard that Smith had a "propensity" to threaten people by saying she would burn their houses down "with their children inside" and made a string of threats to Ms Shiers in the weeks before the fire.

They were told Smith had been increasingly angry with Ms Shiers, accusing her of being a noisy and untidy neighbour, and that she complained to others about Ms Shiers leaving the pushchair in the hallway.

Today Melanie Smith will be told the minimum term of her life sentence.

A "drunk and jealous" woman will be sentenced today after a jury found her guilty of murdering five members of the same family in a house in Prestatyn. Melanie Smith, 43, deliberately set fire to a pushchair because she was angry it had been left in a shared hallway.

Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, her four-year-old nephew, Bailey, and two-year-old niece, Skye, died in the arson attack at their home on 19 October last year.

Ms Shiers' 15-month-old son Charlie and his father Liam Timbrell, 23, were rescued from the first-floor flat by firefighters, but died later in hospital.

Steve Allen, who lost his children Bailey and Skye, and his sister Lee-Anna, in the Prestatyn fire has spoken exclusively to Daybreak about what he saw that day.

He said: "Liam [the father of Mr Allen's nephew] was on the floor, quite badly burned, I went to speak to him and I got told not to touch him because of the conditions, I went towards the house and that's when I realised how serious it was with all the smoke and flames.

"There was smoke coming out the front door and obviously I was shouting things because my kids were still stuck inside with my sister.

"There was nothing nobody could do, they tried, give them credit, we stood there, we watched them and they were trying."

Joy Shiers, the mother of Prestatyn fire victim Lee-Anna Shiers, has told reporters: "We're overjoyed that we've got justice."

She added: "We want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us through this horrible time."

The family say they want to 'get on with normal life' following the verdict, adding: "Our angels would want us to carry on."

Neighbour Melanie Smith will be sentenced next month after being found guilty of five counts of murder.

Lee-Anna Shiers' parents, Joy and Peter Shiers, said they were "overjoyed" with the verdicts following the Prestatyn flat fire court case.

Mrs Shiers, 45, who attended every day of Melanie Smith's trial, said, "I'm sorry for her [Smith's] family but for me and my family, we are so happy that we have got justice".

"There's no reason for what happened and we're never going to get a reason because she's still saying she's not done anything", Mrs Shiers continued.

"Anna was such a lovely, bubbly girl and Liam a very caring dad. Both of them were heroes because we know they would have done everything to rescue the children, The three kiddies loved each other, they played together all the time. They were our angels".

"She [Smith] hasn't just taken Anna, Liam and the children, she's taken our way of life, our friends, our family. They should never let her out", she continued.

Mr Shiers, 64, added, "It's been a long procedure, six months now, and we're grateful for all the help and support we have had. Nothing will bring them back but justice has been served".

Melanie Smith will be sentenced on 8 May for murdering five members of the same family in a flat fire in Prestatyn.

Mr Justice Griffith-Williams warned the 43-year-old that she should expect a life sentence.