A Manchester girl whose mother and brother were horrifically killed in an arson attack has described how she ‘screamed’ in bid to stop their murderer.
Double-killer David Potts, 39, was so distressed at being dumped by Tracy Jones, 41, he vowed to set himself on fire.
He also threatened to attack police officers and social workers who he blamed for the split.
The father of two had told a hospital doctor he was only unable to carry out his threat as he had no money for petrol – but his chilling warning was ignored by psychiatrists who assessed him and he discharged himself from the hospital against medical advice.
Just three weeks later Potts arrived at the family home of Miss Jones and her three children, Broadheath near Altrincham, Greater Manchester, drunk and armed with a fuel container.
In the ensuing attack Miss Jones along with her son, Shaun Van Straaten, 15, as well as Potts were killed in the blaze.
Miss Tracy’s two other children, daughter Cailin, 18, and four-year-old Zach were rescued from the fire with severe burns by neighbours.
Shaun was able to stagger out of the burning house but died 48 hours later while Tracy succumbed to her injuries the following November.
Potts himself died from his injuries on the night of the fire.
Details of the tragedy emerged as an inquest jury in Stockport returned verdicts of unlawful killing on Tracy and Shaun and suicide on Potts.
During the three week hearing Cailin, now 20, told how Potts turned up at the house by taxi after a drinking session.
“I was woken by a loud banging noise so me, mum and Shaun went on to the landing and we saw Dave in the house,” she said.
“He was already inside the house at that point and he was holding a green plastic petrol container with a screw lid on and he came upstairs.
“He didn’t say anything to anybody. He walked back down the stairs and Shaun had gone to get a hammer to try to stop him.
“We followed him downstairs and at that point he poured petrol on himself and was dousing all the lower ground floor in petrol.
“Shaun tried to stop him with the hammer but it didn’t have any effect,” she said.
“I had my mobile and went up the stairs to ring for the fire brigade then I saw David had something in his hand which was a gas lighter and at that point he started the fire.
“We screamed at him to stop but he was dousing himself in petrol.
“Shaun and Mum were trying to wrestle him but at that point he just ignited.”
Potts had been known to police and social services for up to ten years and had a string of convictions for which he received non-custodial sentences.
He escaped court action over an illicit affair with a 13 year old girl and he also once vowed to kidnap and kill one of his daughters.
He’d also staged a knifepoint siege and made several suicide attempts.
Prior to the attack he had left a note to a social worker blaming her for his killing spree
“All the letters and texts are with my mum, just look through and see what you’ve done,” he posted.
“Tracy’s hurting, I am hurting, I’m just putting a stop to the hurt.”
The hearing in Stockport was told father of two Potts began dating former secretary Miss Jones in 2009 after splitting up with his wife following a stormy marriage.
But by 2011 their romance was punctuated by regular break-ups due to deterioration in his behaviour which included an arrest for drink-driving and for throwing a frying pan at his son and after he splashed hot oil in a girl’s face.
He had hoped to go on holiday with Miss Jones to Wales but social services, who had been alerted to Potts, intervened believing he was a threat to her and the children.
“I had met David a couple of months before mum and from day one I raised concerns,” said Callin at the inquest.
“I told mum he wasn’t right and to stay away from him.
“It was his alcohol and his attitude towards women and other people and his lack of respect for other people.
“He was aggressive and I found him to be creepy and he made comments about my physical appearance in a sexual way.
“I wasn’t happy with mum going out with him.
“There were times when she tried to break up with him but she couldn’t because David manipulated her and wouldn’t leave her alone.
“She was frightened of him when he was angry.
“The social workers warned mum of David’s history and they said he was a very dangerous man with a lot of mental illness.
“Mum was scared because she knew he was capable of physically hurting the family.”
In the weeks before the fire, locks were changed at Tracy’s home and a police marker was placed on her address for an immediate response to any call for help.
Officers served a warning notice on Potts accusing him of harassment over text and phone messages.
Despite this, Potts left numerous messages on Facebook begging Tracy to take him back and just three hours before the fire, he left a last posting on his Facebook page.
“I used to be happy but now I am sad. I used to laugh but now I cry. I used to be someone, now I am no one,” he posted.
Last month, a report by Trafford Safeguarding Children Board said Potts’ ‘needs were overlooked’ and condemned Greater Manchester Police, child protection agencies and health services for ‘missed opportunities’ to stop him.
It said agencies failed to fully recognise the deadly potential of Pott’s ‘homicidal and suicidal ideation’ which arose out of his ‘emotional crisis’.
Cailin, who was studying a BTEC National Diploma in Art and Design at South Trafford College, is now living with a member of the congregation at her local church while Zach now lives with his father in South Africa.
Image via Facebook, with thanks.
