Father hits out as toddler's arson killer gets 28 years
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A vengeful killer was branded a "coward" today by the father of the three-year-old girl he murdered.
Graham Heaps took revenge on the family of the woman who rejected him by torching their home as they slept.
Francesca Bimpson was trapped inside the blazing property, suffering 86% burns to her tiny body.
On the night of the attack Francesca and her brother and sisters had been happy and excited after getting a Christmas tree and putting up decorations at the family home in Liverpool.
But Heaps, 44, who had a record for petty crime and burglary stretching back 30 years, could not handle rejection after the breakdown of his relationship with her aunt, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
He had been warned off by the Bimpsons for hounding his ex, felt slighted and decided on revenge, the jury was told.
While the family of six were in bed, Heaps poured petrol through the letterbox before starting a blaze which ripped through the semi-detached house in Everton.
Francesca died in agony in hospital three weeks after the attack on December 1 last year.
Her mother, Eleanor Skelhorne, 37, suffered minor injuries and smoke inhalation in the fire and her father, Kieron Bimpson, also 37, suffered leg injuries jumping from a first-floor window.
Francesca's sisters, Anne-Marie, then aged 17 months, Christina, eight, and 14-year-old brother, Kieron, were treated for the effects of smoke.
Heaps, formerly of Conwy Drive, Everton, but now of Woodside Terrace, Crumlin, South Wales, was convicted of Francesca's murder by a jury yesterday and sentenced to a mandatory life term in jail today.
He was told he must serve a minimum of 28 years before being considered for parole.
The defendant, who police said had not shown a scrap of remorse over his actions, grinned and said "Thank you" to Mr Justice Henriques as he was jailed.
Outside court, Francesca's father described Heaps as a callous murderer who continued to look "smarmy" as he lied to escape justice.
He said: "There will never be a fitting justice for our baby. Her life was cruelly and prematurely taken by a coward."
Mr Bimpson said he was pleased with the 28-year jail term but added: "A hundred years, a million years would not be long enough."
Asked to describe his daughter, he said: "Angel, beautiful, gorgeous, innocent, absolutely the best daughter you could ever wish to have and the most loving human being you could ever meet."
Earlier, female jurors covered their faces with their hands as victim impact statements telling of the family's grief were read out.
Mr Bimpson said he is haunted by the pain and suffering inflicted on his daughter.
"The endless flashbacks and helplessness, emotional and physical pain and suffering is almost too much to bear... I endure endless nightmares and flashbacks of the night our angel was murdered," he said.
"We went to sleep on a December night looking forward to Christmas and awoke in hell."
Ms Skelhorne spoke in her statement to the court of her beautiful, intelligent, "life-loving" daughter and the pain she endured from her injuries before she died.
She said: "This horrific crime has took out my heart and ripped it to pieces... every day she died over and over again, going through torture and hell for three whole weeks."
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Henriques told Heaps: "Your shocking, wicked act of setting fire to a family home with four children asleep in their beds was, in my judgment, motivated by sheer spite.
"It was a vengeful and cowardly attack on a family of six in their own home.
"They are a loving, close unit who did not deserve to be cursed by your unwelcome attention.
"You acquired petrol, walked the distance between your home and theirs... you entered the Close and must have seen Christmas decorations in the front window of the houses.
"You knew the Bimpson family, you had been a guest in their home, you had met all the children, you knew they had a babe in arms and a child of three, you knew her name - Francesca.
"I have no doubt a significant volume of petrol was introduced through their letterbox.
"Your intent was, I believe, to burn, that is to kill, this whole family in their beds as they slept."
Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Naylor said the investigation had been traumatic for everyone involved and said the defendant had lied throughout the inquiry and the trial.
He added: "He's never once shown remorse for any of his actions. He's never shown any sympathy to any of the family at all for the trauma he has brought them.
"I hope today's verdict and sentence has been some justice for Francesca and her family."