11:09ANDREW BARDSLEY
Jury sworn in
A jury of seven men and five women has now been sworn in, and the trial is due to get underway here at Manchester Crown Court.
The judge, Mrs Justice McGowan, is addressing the jury with some opening remarks about how the trial will work.
The jury are all wearing masks and are sitting in an adapted jury box, with perspex screens separating them.
Social distancing is being observed by others in court.
"This is a safe way of working," the judge says.
Prosecutor Paul Reid QC will start his opening statement shortly.
11:17ANDREW BARDSLEY
Prosecution opens the case
Mr Reid is now starting his opening statement.
He tells jurors that Bolland and Worrall are charged with the murder of Michelle Pearson on August 25, 2019, following a house fire on December 11, 2017.
Jurors are told:
"Michelle Pearson died as a result of the injuries she sustained when Zak Bolland and David Worrall threw petrol bombs into the house where she was asleep with five of her children who were aged between three and 16 years old."
11:24KEY EVENT
Accused were convicted of murder of Michelle's four youngest children in previous trial, jury told
Jurors are told a third person, Courtney Brierley, was with Bolland and Worrall and 'encouraged and assisted' them.
They are told she is not on trial as she has 'admitted her guilt for what she did in causing the death of Michelle Pearson'.
Mr Reid says Ms Pearson's four youngest children died either that night or very shortly after.
Ms Pearson was 'very seriously injured' but 'clung onto life' until August 2019 when she died, the court is told.
Jurors are told Bolland and Worrall previously stood trial for causing the death of the four children.
They are told they 'denied their guilt' but were both convicted of the murder of the four children.
Ms Pearson was alive at the time of the trial but was too ill to take part, Mr Reid says.
Mr Reid tells jurors:
"Your task is made easier in this trial by your knowledge of their convictions in 2018.
"The prosecution say that if Michelle Pearson had died before that trial took place, that jury in 2018 would undoubtedly have convicted Bolland and Worrall of the murder of Michelle Pearson.
"We invite you to come to the same conclusion."
11:26ANDREW BARDSLEY
Jury told of 'feud' between Zak Bolland and Pearson family members
Jurors are told there was a 'continuing feud' between Zak Bolland and Kyle Pearson and other members of the Pearson family.
Prior to the fire, windows at the Pearson house on Jackson Street had been smashed by Zak Bolland, jurors are told.
A wheelie bin had been set alight in the garden on December 9, a few days before the incident on December 11, 2017, the court hears.
11:28ANDREW BARDSLEY
Jury hears details of fire
At about 5am on December 11 the house at Jackson Street was 'ablaze', jurors hear.
Kyle Pearson and a friend who was staying at the house, Bobby Harris, were able to escape.
Kyle Pearson's three siblings in the bedroom next to his 'perished' in the fire.
They were 15-year-old Demi, eight-year-old Brandon, and seven-year-old Lacie.
Michelle Pearson made her way out of her home with her youngest daughter Lia.
Lia, three, died two days later.
11:30ANDREW BARDSLEY
Accused threw two petrol bombs into the house, prosecution alleges
Jurors are told that Bolland and Brierley were boyfriend and girlfriend, and Worrall was a friend of both.
Shortly before 5am on December 11, Bolland and Worrall went to the back of the Pearson house on Jackson Street and had 'homemade petrol bombs', prosecutors say.
The two men removed a fence panel to gain access, smashed a kitchen window and threw two petrol bombs into the house, prosecutors allege.
11:33ANDREW BARDSLEY
Court told of background to feud between Bolland and Kyle Pearson
Jurors are being told about the background to the incident.
Bolland and Kyle Pearson had been friends until about a fortnight before the fire, the court heard.
Things 'turned sour' following an incident on November 26 when Bolland's car was set on fire.
It appeared Bolland felt that Kyle Pearson was in some way responsible for the damage, jurors are told.
Bolland later contacted Michelle Pearson, who told him that the car fire had nothing to do with her son.
Mr Reid describes a number of 'tit for tat' incidents that followed.
11:37ANDREW BARDSLEY
Bolland 'threatened violence' at Pearson house, jurors told
Mr Reid is now moving to events surrounding the fatal fire.
Bolland was at home with Brierley with two other men and were watching the Manchester derby being played at Old Trafford on Sunday, December 10, 2017.
They later went to an off licence to buy some beer.
At about 12.30am on December 11 Bolland, Worrall and the two other men went to Jackson Street.
Bolland mentioned 'problems' he had been having and he wanted to go to 'some lad's house'.
Ms Pearson was woken up by one of her daughters and noticed the men, recognising Bolland.
Bolland was 'threatening violence' and said he was 'going to do your house', jurors were told.
He demanded that the two older Pearson children came outside.
Ms Pearson denied either was there.
Kyle Pearson claimed he heard Bolland shout that he was going to 'kill us all'.
Bobby Harris claimed he heard Bolland shout something like 'watch, all your family's getting it, they're all gonna die'.
The men left and Ms Pearson called the police.
Officers arrived later and she made a statement, and she and the children went back to bed.
11:52ANDREW BARDSLEY
Accused 'got home-made petrol bombs and ran up Jackson Street', jury told
A woman called Abigail Toone was trying to find her boyfriend, who was friendly with Bolland. She went to Bolland's home.
Ms Toone heard Bolland and Worrall talking together, she claimed they were getting 'really loud and aggressive'.
They seemed to be planning something, Mr Reid says.
Later they got up and Worrall took an axe and Bolland a machete, the court hears.
Bolland told Ms Toone to drive them to a petrol station.
Mr Reid said:
"The men pulled their hoods up, got out of the car with their home made petrol bombs and ran off up Jackson Street."
11:54ANDREW BARDSLEY
Accused ran back to car and were driven away, jury told
They were gone for a few minutes and re-appeared running from a ginnel.
After returning to the car Bolland allegedly said 'go, go, go, drive to mine, go to mine'.
Worrall allegedly said 'oh God, that was real weren't it' ... 'like he enjoyed it', Mr Reid says.
The car returned to Bolland's home, and Ms Toone left in the vehicle.
11:57ANDREW BARDSLEY
'Two improvised incendiary devices had been thrown into the house'
An investigation into the cause of the fire was launched by police and the fire service.
Mr Reid says:
"Two improvised incendiary devices had been thrown into the house through the broken window."
The smaller of the two, a Budweiser beer bottle, caused relatively little damage, the court hears.
The larger of the two petrol bombs was a clear glass bottle.
12:03ANDREW BARDSLEY
Jury shown CCTV footage from night of the fire
The jury are shown some CCTV footage from the night of the incident.
12:15ANDREW BARDSLEY
Jury shown documents and pictures relating to case
Mr Reid is now introducing jurors to the jury bundle, a file of documents relating to the case.
Some of the documents include pictures taken from the scene, which the jury are being shown.
12:21ANDREW BARDSLEY
Judge tells jury to put emotions 'to one side'
The jury are now leaving court for a short break.
Before they leave, the judge, Mrs Justice McGowan, tells jurors to put emotions 'to one side' in the case.
She said:
"You are here to be very cool and calm and collected, and to analyse the evidence as it unfolds before you."
Two men on trial accused of murdering Michelle Pearson in Salford - live updates
I'm so, very sorry this happened to you Michelle
