Two men jailed for life for an arson attack which killed a man in Wolverhampton
It happened last June
Last updated 22nd May 2025
Two men from Stoke-on-Trent have been jailed for life following an arson attack on a family home which killed a man in Wolverhampton.
Daniel Tatters and Dale Francis have been sentenced to respective minimum terms of 34 and 36 years at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
The incident happened last June in the East Park area of the city.
Akashdeep Singh who was 26, died following the blaze at his home in Plascom Road.
CCTV played to the trial showed Daniel Tatters approaching the house carrying a container and hammering out the window before running away as a fireball filled the lounge.
Dale Francis acted as a driver and lookout at the scene.
The pair were both convicted of murder, and arson with intent to endanger life, and attempted murder on Tuesday (20th May) after jurors deliberated for more than nine hours.
Tatters and Francis had travelled from Stoke in a VW Golf registered to Francis before parking up outside East Park a short distance from Plascom Road at about 1am. Digital evidence was used to track their movements that night.
Detectives found that two hours after the fire was started, Tatters attended hospital in Stoke with cuts to his hand which were treated and he was discharged.
A cigarette lighter found discarded on the driveway was forensically linked to Tatters, who later confirmed in court that the lighter belonged to him.
Tatters, aged 26, and Dale, aged 37, had both denied murder but following a three week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court a jury found them guilty. They were also convicted of three counts of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life.
Tatters, and Francis were told by Mr Justice Wall that their "appalling criminality" had ended the life of 26-year-old Mr Singh and had a "catastrophic" effect on his family.
Jailing the pair, for life, the judge told them: "The family are now all traumatised by the death of Akashdeep Singh.
"I am sure you intended to kill anyone who found themselves in the house at the time of the fire."
In an earlier tribute from Akashdeep's family, they said:
"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.”
Senior Investigating Officer Jenny Birch from West Midlands Police's homicide unit, said today:
"This is a profoundly sad case with a family being robbed of a beloved son, as well as being left to themselves recover from significant injuries caused by a fire that was started deliberately.
“The men have chosen to not disclose their motive for the attack but our exhaustive investigation did make clear that these two men worked together to set that fire.
"Our hope is that although nothing can compare to the family’s loss, they can take some comfort from the fact that these two men will now be remaining in jail for many years."