Drug Gang Jailed for Arson Attack on Elderly Widow's Home
Members of a drug gang have been sentenced to prison for setting fire to an elderly widow's house while she was asleep, causing damage exceeding £750,000.
Carol Ford, 82, a widow from Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taf, escaped her home barefoot and wearing a nightie after arsonists targeted her residence due to her grandsons' outstanding drug debts.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that the gang members were captured on CCTV wearing balaclavas and hooded tops as they initiated the fire at the front door and window of the property.
Following guilty pleas to offences connected to the incident, four men appeared for sentencing, with the judge condemning their actions as "nothing short of evil".
Connor Pitt, 24, Auryn Guster, 19, and Alfie Wheeler, 19, all from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life.
Lewis Manito, 33, also from Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and perverting the course of justice.
Background and Motive
The court was informed that Carol Ford had lived in the house for 61 years before it was targeted following her grandsons Matthew and Gavin Ford accumulating a drug debt of £137,000.
In the days preceding the fire, their mother received a threatening text message from a member of an organised crime gang, urging one of her sons to "pay up".
Prosecutor Marian Lewis stated the fire occurred in the early hours of 28 July 2025 at the home on Protheroe Street.
Petrol was poured through the front door letterbox and around a front window that had been smashed.
Lewis described the attack as "a targeted attack in the early hours when the occupier would have been asleep," adding that it had been organised by Pitt.
CCTV footage showed Pitt, Guster, and Wheeler walking from a white Seat car towards the house, wearing balaclavas and hooded tops before starting the fire at the front door and window.
Details of the Incident and Escape
The court heard that Carol Ford had been sleeping downstairs due to mobility issues, which ultimately saved her life as she was able to escape in her nightie and barefoot to the back garden.
"It sounded like a load of fireworks going off," she said, describing her exit. After fleeing, she looked back to see her "kitchen window being blown away by the flames."
Emergency services arrived within minutes, but the house was already engulfed in flames, prompting the evacuation of the street.
The fire caused £771,715 worth of damage, destroyed two houses, and severely damaged a third. Additionally, three cars were destroyed.
Pitt, Guster, and Wheeler were seen on CCTV running from the scene and entering the white Seat car, which was later stopped near Cardiff by police using a stinger device.
The three men were arrested and reportedly smelled of petrol at the time of their arrest. Manito, a father of three, was subsequently arrested in Weston-super-Mare.
Impact on Victims and Community
In a victim impact statement, Carol Ford expressed her intentions to spend her remaining years peacefully at home, which were shattered in "a split second" that night.
"It was like a movie set but this wasn't a film but my home burning down," she said.
Her son, Phillip Ford, described his feelings upon witnessing the fire.
"I was heartbroken when I saw the family home on fire," he said.
Prosecutor Marian Lewis highlighted the effect on the local community.
"It was a close-knit community on a quiet and safe street and the fire has destroyed that and left residents traumatised," she said.
Sentencing
During sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson condemned the defendants' actions.
"Your actions were nothing short of evil, to deliberately burn down a house when an occupant lay sleeping shows a total disregard for human life," the judge said.
Judge Hobson sentenced Connor Pitt to 13 years in prison, stating:
"You had an utter disregard for human life."
Auryn Guster was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, visibly distressed during the hearing.
The judge addressed Alfie Wheeler, noting:
"You travelled with a machete, and you endangered an elderly woman's life."
Wheeler received an eight-year prison sentence.
Lewis Manito was sentenced to nine years in prison.
