Terrified schoolgirl, 10, told gran 'daddy is scaring me' in chilling messages sent hours before fatal house fire
A SCHOOLGIRL who died alongside her father during a house blaze told her gran "Daddy is scaring me" hours before the horror.
Terrified Paige, 10, had texted her grandmother before she and dad Garry Bolton, 47, were found in a locked bathroom in their burning home.
The little girl, who was wearing pyjamas, was pulled from the bath by firefighters. However, despite the efforts of paramedics, she couldn't be saved.
An inquest yesterday heard she desperately tried to reach her grandma Patricia Bolton before her death, messaging: "Daddy is scaring me.
"Why can't you help me?"
Tragically, Mrs Bolton didn't see the texts until the following morning, Hull Live reports.
Coroner Ian Sprakes heard emergency services were called to a huge house fire in Hull on January 25 last year.
Firefighters smashed down the bathroom door and battled through "zero visibility and extreme heat" before finding Paige and Bolton huddled in the bath. Bolton was declared dead at the scene.
GIRL'S TERRIFIED MESSAGES
Station manager Richard Gibson, of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said he believed the fire was "deliberate" as it had started on the middle of the bed.
He said: “I believe the ignition was due to an unspecified naked flame.
“As the seat of the fire was in the centre of the bed, it leads me to believe it was deliberate.”
Independent fire investigator Dr Will Hutchinson, who carried out an probe into the blaze, said the smouldering fire would have taken hours to develop.
A post mortem found both Paige and Bolton died from smoke inhalation.
It was heard at the inquest that Bolton had never got over the death of his son, Paige's twin brother Ethan, who died when he was just six months old.
The dad had also been bullied, even moving Paige from her school after she was called "the r*tard's daughter".
Garry was a loving and devoted father to Paige – he adored her
His sister Tracey said: "Garry had been bullied all his life and was an easy target because he would not stand up for himself.
“He was a loving and devoted father to Paige who he absolutely adored and he always put her first.
"He was thoughtful and caring. He was a gentle giant with a passive nature.
"He cared for his family but never really got over the death of Ethan.”
The court heard he'd messaged Paige's mother Cherie Rangley before he and the little one died.
Mr Sprakes said he will deliver his conclusion on the tragedy in the coming weeks.
Following the horror, Paige's mum spoke about the agony of losing both of her children.
Cherie Rangley said: "I’ve lost both my bairns now. I’m a mum with no kids left.
"Ethan was only six months old so I didn't really have a life with him, but I've had nearly 11 years with Paige and all I've got is memories.
"It is doing my head in. I'm walking down the street seeing little people with red hair like Paige. It is just breaking me so much."
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