Sandra Nowocinska

Sandra Nowocinska died following a fire at her flat in what was thought to have been an arson attack.

The fire took place on Friday 27 November 2015, and she died a few days later on Monday 30 November 2015.

Her 43-year-old boyfriend was tried for her manslaughter but acquitted. It was said that he had set fire to some wheelie bins near the flats in order to get them re-housed or to cancel a debt he owed the landlord, although it was stated that it was not thought that he had intended to kill Sandra Nowocinska. It was heard that he had a motorcycle and that he had parked it up near the wheelie bins and carried out repairs on it shortly before the fire. The 43-year-old boyfriend denied starting the fire.

They had lived in a flat above the Crystal cafe, which was destroyed in the fire, with Sandra Nowocinska's five-year-old son who was also injured in the fire.

Two men, including the 43-year-old boyfriend, were said to have managed to jump from part of the building that was on fire, but Sandra Nowocinska and her son were not pulled out of the blaze until firemen arrived and went into the flat with breathing equipment.

The 43-year-old boyfriend said that when he smelt smoke in the flat, he wrapped Sandra Nowocinska and her son up in wet blankets and put them in the shower with the water running.

He was a tattoo artist and worked from a shop in Oxford Street, Kidderminster, but it was heard that he also tattooed people at the flat. It was heard that he earned between £80 to £300 a week but that he was a heroin user and was in debt with the rent to the sum of £1,400. It was claimed that part of his motive in allegedly starting the fire was to clear the debt or to get them rehoused.

The 43-year-old boyfriend denied all the charges against him, but he did admit to previously threatening to destroy the Crystal cafe, which was below their flat.