Man appears in court charged with murder after fatal house fire

Dale Francis, 36, attended a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday via video-link from HMP Birmingham charged with murder, four counts of attempted murder and one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

The charges are in connection with a fire at a house in Plascom Road in East Park, Wolverhampton, in the early hours of June 25, which was caught on CCTV.

Akashdeep Singh, 26, who the court heard was trapped upstairs in the house with his mother and one of his brothers when the fire started, was rushed to hospital, where he later died.

Prosecution counsel Sarah Slater told the court Mr Singh’s brother suffered a fractured back when he fell out of an upstairs window, while their mother is still in intensive care in hospital.

Two others were also injured.

Francis, of Clarke Street in Stoke-on-Trent, answered “yes sir” when asked by Judge Michael Chambers KC, if he could hear him over the link.

Judge Chambers told him: “Your case is adjourned until the next hearing on October 11 when you should be produced at court.

“At this hearing, you will be asked whether you plead guilty or not guilty to the charges you face.

“In the meantime, you should remain in custody.”

In a statement issued through West Midlands Police after Mr Singh’s death, his relatives described him as a “true hero”.

They said: “Our family is deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Akashdeep Singh’s passing.

“He was a kind, helpful, and deeply religious person whose loss brings us immense pain that will remain with us for the rest of our lives.

“A true hero, our precious son, whose boundless kindness, infectious laughter, and unwavering love filled our lives with immeasurable joy, his memory will forever be cherished, and the depth of his absence is profoundly felt every single day.”