Newcastle Uni
08-31-2005, 11:14 AM
A badly burned young woman staggered from a blazing house in which her four-month-old son died and claimed she had been attacked and had her wrists bound by two men, witnesses said yesterday.
They said the 21-year-old mother, named by police as Danielle Wails, dialled 999 with her tongue after screaming for help through her letterbox as the fire took hold.
"The fire is being treated as suspicious and a murder investigation is under way," said a Northumbria police spokeswoman. "We need anyone with information about this incident to contact us urgently."
Two girls who ran to help late on Sunday night told how Ms Wails screamed through the letterbox that her son Alexander Lee Gallon was trapped in the blazing house in Cowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. "She was saying that two men had got in and had attacked her and set fire to the house," said Leanne Horspool, 15. "I was telling her to calm down and get away from the door and we would try to find someone to kick it in.
"I stopped a car and a man tried to help and then the fire brigade arrived and they kicked the door in.
"She stumbled out of the front door and was just all black and looked like she was covered in soot. She told me she had managed to dial 999 with her tongue. She was shouting 'My baby, my baby is in there'."
Ms Horspool's friend, Chantelle Stoker, 12, added: "A wire was hanging down from one wrist and looked like it had been pulled tight with a knot in. Danielle was saying that two men had got in, hit her and tied her up then set the house alight. The firemen helped her out of the door and she just fell to the ground.
"When the firemen brought the baby out, they kept him shielded from Danielle and a fireman had him cradled in his jacket. Whoever has done this deserves to be shot."
Alexander was declared dead at Newcastle General hospital, where his mother is now in the intensive care unit.
Ms Horspool said that she had spent the evening in the garden chatting to a friend. "I had just gone into the house and was getting ready to go to bed and just locking the front door when I heard someone crying 'Help! Help! My baby!'
"I ran to the window and heard someone shout, 'My house is on fire, my baby is in the house.' Danielle was shouting through the letterbox and saying she couldn't get out."
She called her uncle Richard Robertson to help. "He ran outside and was kicking the door but he couldn't get it open. We were yelling at Danielle to step back from the door and she was saying she couldn't move.
"Then the firemen arrived and five of them started kicking the door. It burst open and Danielle came out."
Ms Horspool said she had seen Danielle earlier in the evening but had seen no one else enter or leave the house.
Neighbour Richie Carmichael, 25, said Ms Wails had been living in the area for a short time. The house was owned by a Catholic charity and used as a refuge for women who had suffered domestic violence. "It's basically a halfway house before they can be found a proper address." he said. "The lass was in there because she had been having difficulties. Why wasn't there an intercom or even a smoke alarm? The fire was at the back of the house near to where the baby was sleeping."
Dawn English, 29, who lives in the flat next door to the house, also heard screams.
"I had just finished work and got back into the house when I started to hear lots of banging and screaming," she said. "I could heard Danielle bashing about in the house next door. Then on the street outside we heard people screaming that there was a fire and that there was a baby in the house.
"I ran downstairs to help. Our front door opens right next to hers and there were loads of people outside and masses of smoke. Everyone was screaming and people were kicking the door trying to break it down.
"[Firefighters] kept kicking it but the door wouldn't budge. On about the fourth attempt they kicked it in and Danielle staggered out and collapsed on the floor."
Neighbours said they knew nothing about Ms Wails's family. Police said they could not comment about the incident or confirm any details but will hold a news conference today.
They said the 21-year-old mother, named by police as Danielle Wails, dialled 999 with her tongue after screaming for help through her letterbox as the fire took hold.
"The fire is being treated as suspicious and a murder investigation is under way," said a Northumbria police spokeswoman. "We need anyone with information about this incident to contact us urgently."
Two girls who ran to help late on Sunday night told how Ms Wails screamed through the letterbox that her son Alexander Lee Gallon was trapped in the blazing house in Cowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. "She was saying that two men had got in and had attacked her and set fire to the house," said Leanne Horspool, 15. "I was telling her to calm down and get away from the door and we would try to find someone to kick it in.
"I stopped a car and a man tried to help and then the fire brigade arrived and they kicked the door in.
"She stumbled out of the front door and was just all black and looked like she was covered in soot. She told me she had managed to dial 999 with her tongue. She was shouting 'My baby, my baby is in there'."
Ms Horspool's friend, Chantelle Stoker, 12, added: "A wire was hanging down from one wrist and looked like it had been pulled tight with a knot in. Danielle was saying that two men had got in, hit her and tied her up then set the house alight. The firemen helped her out of the door and she just fell to the ground.
"When the firemen brought the baby out, they kept him shielded from Danielle and a fireman had him cradled in his jacket. Whoever has done this deserves to be shot."
Alexander was declared dead at Newcastle General hospital, where his mother is now in the intensive care unit.
Ms Horspool said that she had spent the evening in the garden chatting to a friend. "I had just gone into the house and was getting ready to go to bed and just locking the front door when I heard someone crying 'Help! Help! My baby!'
"I ran to the window and heard someone shout, 'My house is on fire, my baby is in the house.' Danielle was shouting through the letterbox and saying she couldn't get out."
She called her uncle Richard Robertson to help. "He ran outside and was kicking the door but he couldn't get it open. We were yelling at Danielle to step back from the door and she was saying she couldn't move.
"Then the firemen arrived and five of them started kicking the door. It burst open and Danielle came out."
Ms Horspool said she had seen Danielle earlier in the evening but had seen no one else enter or leave the house.
Neighbour Richie Carmichael, 25, said Ms Wails had been living in the area for a short time. The house was owned by a Catholic charity and used as a refuge for women who had suffered domestic violence. "It's basically a halfway house before they can be found a proper address." he said. "The lass was in there because she had been having difficulties. Why wasn't there an intercom or even a smoke alarm? The fire was at the back of the house near to where the baby was sleeping."
Dawn English, 29, who lives in the flat next door to the house, also heard screams.
"I had just finished work and got back into the house when I started to hear lots of banging and screaming," she said. "I could heard Danielle bashing about in the house next door. Then on the street outside we heard people screaming that there was a fire and that there was a baby in the house.
"I ran downstairs to help. Our front door opens right next to hers and there were loads of people outside and masses of smoke. Everyone was screaming and people were kicking the door trying to break it down.
"[Firefighters] kept kicking it but the door wouldn't budge. On about the fourth attempt they kicked it in and Danielle staggered out and collapsed on the floor."
Neighbours said they knew nothing about Ms Wails's family. Police said they could not comment about the incident or confirm any details but will hold a news conference today.