Family trapped in burning house

by Arryn Moy
BBC News, West Midlands

Four people died in the fire in Tipton in 2004

Fire engines were on the scene of the devastating house fire within one minute of a 999 call, but it was too late for four members of one family.

Emergency services entering the home in Peake Drive, Dudley Port, Tipton, found one body upstairs, two by the rear door and one by the front door.

Doors had been locked blocking the escape of the family.

On Monday, Gurmej Rai was convicted of murdering four relatives by organising for their home to be set on fire.

Neighbours had helped rescue the youngest person in the semi-detached house from upstairs in September 2004.

Amarjit Kaur escaped from a first-floor window, and was aided by passers-by. She was then treated in hospital for severe burns.

THE PEAKE DRIVE VICTIMS Palvinder Kaur, 44 - died Gurdish Kaur, 60 - died Ajit Singh, 64 - died Darshan Kaur, 30 - died Amarjit Kaur, now 24 - injured

But Birmingham Crown Court heard it was hopeless for older members of her family who were trapped inside the inferno of the house where Amarjit's grandparents lived.

More than 300 people were questioned by West Midlands Police officers, who were keen to trace two Asian men seen in the area.

Supt Bob Spencer said in September 2004: "Clearly the fire was of such ferocity that there was little the fire service could do to save the lives of the four people inside.

"The fact that the fire has run through the house so quickly raises suspicions about the actual cause."

Gurmej Rai was convicted after a five-week trial

Rumours spread through the area about jealousy over the number of people who had moved from the Punjab to live in the home.

Relatives of the dead family suggested this may have been the reason for the arson.

The older couple - Ajit Singh and Gurdish Kaur - moved to the UK in 1998 and family were joining them in the Black Country home.

That included their grand-daughter who survived the fire, plus their daughter - Darshan Kaur - who died in the blaze. They were also being visited by daughter-in-law Palvinder Kaur who lived in India.

Darshan had left her husband and joined her parents at Peake Drive three months ahead of the fire, by which time Rai was also living there.

The court heard Rai had a mistress and had been living the life of a bachelor, but his wife's parents had insisted he lived with his wife once more and "behaved properly".

THE ACCUSED Gurmej Rai, 37, of Florence Road, West Bromwich, was found guilty of murder Ravinder Badhan, 19, of Raleigh Close, Handsworth admitted manslaughter Raju Sahonta, 20, of Station Road, Handsworth, admitted manslaughter Ravinder Mattu, 20, of Birmingham Road, Great Barr, was cleared of all charges

The five-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court started in January 2006 and heard claims of how Rai recruited other men to burn the house down with the aim of killing his wife.

The court heard that late one night the three met up in Handsworth and bought petrol, let themselves into the house, doused the hallway with petrol, lit it then drove off.

Post-mortem examinations showed the victims had died from breathing in smoke.

Mr Singh's son also revealed his father received a threatening phone calls just two days before the fire.