'If I can’t have it, no-one can' - The words uttered by Hambleton arsonist after gas explosion in Carr Lane

A man caused an explosion which destroyed his childhood home after he wrongly believed he had been cut out of his inheritance of the property, a court has heard.

Darren Davies, 55, set fire to the £260,000 four-bedroom detached bungalow where he lived with his brother, Craig, in Hambleton following the death of their parents just months apart in 2024.

Neighbours in the residential area were disturbed by a loud bang at about 9.50am on March 27 as the property in Carr Lane erupted into flames and plumes of thick black smoke appeared instantly, Preston Crown Court heard.

Witnesses also saw glass and debris “fly” out in the blast, which severely damaged the bungalow as the roof collapsed into the rooms below.

Davies emerged from the side of the house “miraculously uninjured” and told a passer-by: “My family want the house. If I can’t have it, no-one can.”

The defendant also told neighbours, together with police and paramedics who quickly arrived on the scene, that he had wanted to kill himself.

Prosecutor Michael O’Brien said firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control before it could spread to other properties.

It was discovered that three gas cylinders had been placed in the kitchen, the front living room and one of the front bedrooms, the court was told.

Petrol was found in the loft and a candle had been lit.

Mr O’Brien said: “Due to the extent of the fire, it was not possible for the emergency services to determine the exact location at which the fire started.

“It was concluded that the cause was the application of naked flame to combustible materials, with an ignitable liquid used to accelerate the development of the fire.

“The force of the blast exposed people in the vicinity to a risk of life.”

On Thursday, Davies was jailed for four years and four months after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

In a victim personal statement, Craig Davies told the court that his parents had made wills which gave an equal share of the bungalow to himself and his brother.

He said he told the defendant last year that he wanted to sell the property and “go our separate ways” but said it “would not happen straightaway”.

Mr Davies said: “In early 2025, Darren developed the bizarre idea that there was a secret will signed by my dad in the last few months of his life leaving the house solely to myself.

“This was a notion entirely of his making.

“He continually accused me of being part of a plot against him.”