Fatal St Helens arson attack suspect found dead in wheelie bin
Paul Smith, a suspect in a fatal arson attack in St Helens, was found dead in a wheelie bin a week after the incident. An inquest is investigating his death, which followed a drug overdose, while the arson attack itself resulted in the deaths of an elderly couple.
Why it matters
The case highlights a complex intersection of criminal investigation and suspicious death, drawing significant public interest in the UK.
Image source, Merseyside Police Image caption, Paul Smith's body was discovered seven days after the arson attack in a wheelie bin
A man suspected of carrying out an arson attack which killed an elderly couple was found dead in a wheelie bin a week later, an inquest has heard.
Paul Smith, 40, known as Smigger, is believed to have started the fire at the home of Sheila Jackson, 83, and her partner, Eric Greener, 77, in St Helens, Merseyside, last July.
The couple were rescued from the fire but died in hospital from burns and smoke inhalation.
Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool heard Smith's body was discovered seven days after the attack, in a bin where it had been moved after he died in a bath, having taken a cocktail of drugs.
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