Hodge Jones & Allen

In the early hours of Friday 20th May 2011, 38 year old refuse worker Dave Grace died in a blaze at his terraced home in Fullers Slade, Milton Keynes. His wife and sons were staying at a friend’s house several miles away that evening.

 

According to a report in the local newspaper, the Milton Keynes Citizen, fire and police officers are investigating a theory that he doused his own home with petrol and set fire to it in a misguided attempt to fake an arson attack, in order to be re-housed by the local authority.

 

Mr Grace is reported to have been trying in vain for 12 months to get a transfer to a different area. His wife is reported as saying she is racked with guilt after pressuring her husband about the move, after the family encountered problems with local residents.

 

Mr Grace’s second son was born only 10 weeks ago. His family say he was a fantastic husband and devoted father. The family have neither house contents insurance nor life insurance. Mr Grace’s wife is reported to have been told by the local authority that the family will either have to return to their house when it has been repaired or a homeless hostel, and says “either option is terrible”.

 

Commenting on the reports, Hodge Jones & Allen LLP partner Peter Todd said:

“This tragic incident has devastated a family and left two young children without a father, and has cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds. It illustrates the importance of access to housing advice for those suffering difficulties."

 

"Free legal advice should be available to people who need it via the legal aid scheme, so that this sort of incident does not happen. A small amount of funding for legal advice could have saved thousands in the long run and avoided a terrible tragedy. The government should be promoting access to housing advice services, not proposing to dramatically cut it. Cuts of this type are a false economy in the long run."