The death of a "lovely" grandad two weeks after his home was set alight is now being treated as a murder investigation.
George Redmond, 76, and his wife, Mary Redmond, were forced to evacuate their house in Dorien Road, Old Swan, at around 3.20am on Thursday, September 1. The ECHO understands George fell on the stairs as he tried to flee and suffered serious injuries which required hospital treatment.
According to George's family, the pensioner was making good progress with his rehabilitation but died suddenly in hospital on September 16. Initially it was unclear if George's death was a direct consequence of the arson attack but Merseyside Police have now confirmed it is being treated as murder.
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Witnesses in the area told the ECHO how neighbours hammered on George and Mary's windows to raise the alarm after the front door of the house was set alight. A petrol can was also visible on the driveway.
In a statement issued shortly after his death, George's family said: "With extreme sadness we announce the death of a lovely husband, dad and granddad, George Redmond, who died suddenly on September 16 in hospital.
"He was making great progress in his rehabilitation and was already mobile and regaining his independence so his sudden death was unexpected and utterly tragic and we as a family are absolutely struggling to come to terms with it all. We are beyond heartbroken and hope whoever is responsible for this appalling act is swiftly brought to justice.
"George leaves behind his much loved wife Mary to whom he was married for 52 amazing years and three much loved daughters, Kathryn, Karyn and Angela, as well as six grandchildren – and not forgetting Belle, his beloved cockapoo.
"We will love and miss him forever and hope there is a steady supply of custard creams wherever he is now. Rest peacefully George Redmond. 1946 – 2022."
Residents in the street told the ECHO they are "absolutely certain" the attack was a case of mistaken identity and could not think of a reason anyone would harm the couple.
One neighbour told the ECHO: "They were one of the families who sold up when they were purchasing the land for Edge Lane so they have been here for 10 or 12 years. George was quite a quiet man but he would always say hello. He was an avid gardener, he loved being in his garden.
"It was definitely mistaken identity. It's happened before in this street, someone torched my car back in 2009. There are certain people in this area who think they are more than what they are. They think they are gangsters."
Another said: "I used to walk the dog with George. We'd talk about the football and things like that. He was an Evertonian, he was just a very quiet fella. There's no way at all anybody would want to hurt George and Mary. It's absolutely terrible, it frightens you to death."
So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. However, detectives have issued CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to and of a white Audi car seen in the area between 3.10am and 3.20am.
Detective Inspector Gavin Mulcahy said: “Our thoughts and condolences continue to go out to George Redmond’s family who are devastated by this despicable crime. Our officers are determined to bring those responsible to justice.
“To that end, I want to continue to appeal to anyone who lives in this area and may have any information, be it further images or footage on CCTV, dashcam or doorbell devices. If you were in the area between 3am to 3.45am on Thursday 1 September and have not already spoken t o police but saw something suspicious at the time please contact us.
“If you haven’t already come forward, please contact us with anything you know to help us bring those responsible to justice for the family of George Redmond.”
Anyone with any information can also contact us via social media @MerPolCC or call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000649658.
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