THE families of two people who died in a fire in Huddersfield have paid tribute to their loved ones after the man who started the blaze was jailed for life.
Craig Collier was given a minimum term of 30 years for the murders of Reece Schofield and Samantha Mills when he appeared before Leeds Crown Court yesterday.
Collier, 35, of Clare Hill in Huddersfield, was also given a total of 13 years in concurrent sentences for charges of arson with intent to endanger life and to pervert the course of justice in relation to the incident in Clare Hill in Huddersfield in March of this year.
Samantha’s brother and mother have issued the following statement: “Sammy was only 31 years old. She had so much to look forward to in her life.
"Due to the actions of another person she will never get to watch her five children grow up, see them finish school/college and start their own families and she will never get that dream wedding she always wished for.
“I have had to watch my family fall apart for nine months and it’s been absolutely horrendous to see.
"Life just isn’t the same for us and I don’t think it ever will be.
"Losing Sammy has had a huge impact on all of us. All we have now is photographs and memories.
“We know we’re not the only victims of this crime. There are other families suffering too and we feel for every other person affected by this. No family should ever have to go through something like this.
“On behalf of myself and my family we would like to thank the police who have supported the family through this awful time.
"We would also like to thank the fire service and ambulance service for their brave and heroic actions on that tragic morning."
Reece’s mother, said: “There are no words strong enough to describe the pain that myself and my family are feeling.
“I am utterly devastated by the loss of my son in such horrendous circumstances. I am haunted by his frightened, panicked voice during the 999 call he made.
"The thought of him being scared in his final moments is absolutely heart breaking and I lie awake hearing it every night.
“I never got to say goodbye, that chance was cruelly taken away from me. I never got to cuddle him one last time or tell him how much I loved him.
“Reece leaves behind a three-year old daughter, Ayla, who he adored. Ayla will never get to know her dad properly and will suffer the emotional grief when she is old enough to understand the cruel way her dad was taken from her.
“Craig Collier is a truly wicked man. He has shown no remorse, nor has he explained why he did this.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the police for their support and hard work in bringing this case to court. Also thanks to the fire service and ambulance for all their efforts at the scene.”
Speaking after sentencing Detective Chief Inspector Sharron Kaye, who led the investigation, said: “I would like to thank the efforts of my team for their hard work in bringing Collier to justice.
“Our sympathies remain with the families of Reece and Samantha, as well as the four people who survived the incident, and I hope that today’s outcome will give them some comfort at this very difficult time.”
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