Two relatives sustained severe burns to their faces after an acquaintance allegedly sprayed fuel onto a pub heater, causing it to explode in flames, a court was told.
During her 28th birthday celebration at the Kings Head pub in Great Cornard, Suffolk, on April 24, 2021, April Charlesworth endured excruciating burns to her neck, hands, and face. Her cousin, Ashleigh Charlesworth, 32, a former children’s nurse, suffered burns to her chest, face, and hands, and had to be placed on a ventilator due to swelling in her airway.
Dale Carter, 30, a friend of the cousins, was with the group for their first outing post-Covid lockdown, as revealed to jurors at Ipswich Crown Court. The incident occurred in the pub’s car park on a chilly evening when April’s brother, Sam Charlesworth, brought a tabletop heater and a bottle of ethanol from their mother’s house nearby.
Sam lit the heater and allegedly placed the fuel bottle in a bag before momentarily leaving the area. Upon his return, he found his sister and cousin badly injured, surrounded by flames on the table.
In court, Sam testified that he had cautioned Carter about the risks associated with the heater and fuel, mentioning the potential danger of a fireball. He recounted joking with Carter about fire safety, noting that Carter had playfully interacted with the flames.
Witness Mark Lawrence reported seeing Carter pour fuel on the heater, causing a brief flame to flash out before disappearing. During a subsequent attempt, the flame ignited the table, leading to an explosion that transformed the bottle into a projectile.
Another witness, Danny Wheeler, described how Carter’s actions resulted in a fire that ignited people’s clothes and Carter’s hair as the bottle’s lid and end were blown off.
Carter’s defense attorney, Michael Epstein, characterized the incident as a “freak accident,” acknowledging its horrific nature. Carter has pleaded not guilty to two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Ashleigh, who was working as a nurse, had to transition to a clinician role at the NHS 111 service due to her injuries. April, a mother of one, reflected on the challenges of recovery, expressing ongoing difficulties and the importance of accepting tough times. The trial is ongoing.