This is the moment a man told police he should be ‘locked up’ after he blew up his childhood home in an inheritance row.
Darren Davies’ spat started out of fear the house in Blackpool would be left solely to his brother.
The family feud then took a dramatic turn when the 55-year-old set fire to his four-bedroom bungalow on March 27 after he poured petrol in the bedroom and the attic and left a gas bottle inside.
While still inside he started the blaze with a candle and the resulting explosion saw the bungalow engulfed in flames, with glass and debris strewn across the road outside.
The force of the blast was so powerful that only one wall of the bungalow was left standing.
Remarkably, Davies escaped with only minor injuries.
Now, Davies has been jailed for four years and four months after he pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
In police body cam footage, shown to Preston Crown Court, an officer approaches Mr Davies who is stood on a pavement outside his house, dressed in pyjama pants and an orange jumper.
Police body cam footage of Darren Davies outside his home after he blew up the property in a family inheritance row
An aerial view of the damage to the bungalow. Davies set fire to his four-bedroom bungalow on March 27 after he poured petrol in the bedroom and the attic and left a gas bottle inside
A female officer asks Davies ‘it’s your house isn’t it’ to which he replies ‘yes’.
An unfazed Davies then admits to causing the explosion saying ‘it is not a gas leak, I need locking up, it was me’.
He then told the officer ‘I was trying to kill myself’ while worried homeowners and emergency services personnel can be heard shouting in the background.
Davies can then be heard saying to members of the North West Ambulance Service ‘I was trying to kill myself and take my house with me’ to which a female paramedic responds ‘okay’.
Preston Crown Court heard Davies had become paranoid that family members wanted to take the bungalow off him, the property having been left to him and his brother by their father.
In a victim personal statement, Craig Davies told the court that last year that he wanted to sell the property and ‘go our separate ways’ but said it ‘would not happen straightaway’.
Craig said: ‘In early 2025, Darren developed the bizarre idea that there was a secret will signed by my dad in the last few months of his life leaving the house solely to myself.
‘This was a notion entirely of his making.
‘He continually accused me of being part of a plot against him.’
The force of the blast was so powerful that only one wall of the bungalow was left standing. Remarkably, Davies escaped with only minor injuries
Prosecutor Michael O’Brien said firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control before it could spread to other properties.
Residents were evacuated from the area for their own safety.
It was discovered that three gas cylinders had been placed in the kitchen, the front living room and one of the front bedrooms, the court was told.
Petrol was found in the loft and a candle had been lit.
Mr O’Brien said: ‘Due to the extent of the fire, it was not possible for the emergency services to determine the exact location at which the fire started.
‘It was concluded that the cause was the application of naked flame to combustible materials, with an ignitable liquid used to accelerate the development of the fire.
‘The force of the blast exposed people in the vicinity to a risk of life.’
One witness who was driving on Carr Lane when the explosion happened, saw Davies walk from the bungalow unscathed.
Davies has been jailed for four years and four months after he pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered
Davies spoke to the witness and told them ‘my family want the house, if I can’t have it no one can’.
His brother Craig, who he lived with, was at work when Davies caused the explosion.
He received a WhatsApp message from a friend who worked near to the bungalow, requesting he phoned him.
When he called his friend, he was told his home had burned down and there was ‘nothing left’.
The emergency services declared a major incident such was the extent of the fire and explosion.
Davies was arrested at the scene, and after receiving treatment at hospital, was taken into custody.
He was subsequently charged with arson and remanded in custody to await court proceedings.
Davies, formerly of Carr Lane, Hambleton, appeared at Preston Crown Court for sentence today after pleading guilty on May 14 at the same court to arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
He was jailed for four years and four months.
Detective Constable Dave Pinnington of Lancaster CID, said: ‘Darren Davies’ reckless actions destroyed his own bungalow and could have put many people’s lives at risk in the surrounding area.
‘This was an extremely dangerous scene for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and for Lancashire Police officers to attend.
‘I’d like to thank my uniformed colleagues for their actions when they turned up at Carr Lane that morning.
‘They were faced with chaos and danger at the scene and worked under those conditions to get people to safety and find out quickly what had happened.
‘Darren Davies now has to face the consequences of what he did by spending time in prison.’
Joanne Close of the Crown Prosecution Service said: ‘My thoughts are with Davies’ brother and the rest of the family as they continue to come to terms with the impact of this devastating incident.
‘Nothing can replace the memories and belongings lost in the home. His brother was left only with the personal items he had taken with him on his commute. Everything else he owned, and everything that had belonged to their parents, was destroyed.
‘The impact on his brother has been life changing, and he has had to rely on the kindness of the community. Other family members have also suffered the loss of treasured family possessions and memories.
‘Whilst nothing can replace what has been lost, I hope today’s sentence provides them with some sense of justice.’
