The death of a granddad-of-six who died two weeks after his home was set ablaze is now being treated as murder, police confirm.
George Redmond, 76, died in hospital after he succumbed to injuries sustained as he and his wife Mary fled their house as flames took hold.
Mr Redmond and his wife of 52 years were forced to evacuate their property in Old Swan, Liverpool, at around 3.20am on Thursday, September 1.
It’s understood the pensioner fell down the stairs as the couple escaped and he suffered serious injuries, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Despite making progress Mr Redmond died in hospital on September 16, his family said. It was initially unclear if detectives were treating his death as a direct consequence of the arson attack, but Merseyside Police have now confirmed it is being dealt with as a murder.
No arrests have been made in connection with the case so far. However, detectives have issued CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to and of a white Audi car seen in the area between 3.10am and 3.20am. On the night of the attack, witnesses told the Liverpool Echo how neighbours on Dorien Road hammered on windows to raise the alarm after the front door went up in flames. A petrol can was visible in the driveway.
Detective Inspector Gavin Mulcahy said: “Our thoughts and condolences continue to go out to George Redmond’s family who are devastated by this despicable crime. Our officers are determined to bring those responsible to justice.
“To that end, I want to continue to appeal to anyone who lives in this area and may have any information, be it further images or footage on CCTV, dashcam or doorbell devices.
If you were in the area between 3am to 3.45am on Thursday 1 September and have not already spoken to police but saw something suspicious at the time please contact us.
“If you haven’t already come forward, please contact us with anything you know to help us bring those responsible to justice for the family of George Redmond.”
In a statement issued shortly after his death, George’s family said: “With extreme sadness, we announce the death of a lovely husband, dad and granddad, George Redmond, who died suddenly on September 16 in hospital.
“He was making great progress in his rehabilitation and was already mobile and regaining his independence so his sudden death was unexpected and utterly tragic and we as a family are absolutely struggling to come to terms with it all.
“We are beyond heartbroken and hope whoever is responsible for this appalling act is swiftly brought to justice.
“George leaves behind his much-loved wife Mary to whom he was married for 52 amazing years and three much-loved daughters, Kathryn, Karyn and Angela, as well as six grandchildren – and not forgetting Belle, his beloved cockapoo.
“We will love and miss him forever and hope there is a steady supply of custard creams wherever he is now. Rest peacefully, George Redmond. 1946 – 2022.”
Residents in the street said they were “absolutely certain” the attack was a case of mistaken identity and could not think of a reason anyone would harm the couple.
One neighbour said: “I used to walk the dog with George. We’d talk about football and things like that. He was an Evertonian, he was just a very quiet fella. There’s no way at all anybody would want to hurt George and Mary. It’s absolutely terrible, it frightens you to death.”
