Two Sentenced Following Brighton Arson Series

Following three deliberate fires at locations across Brighton, a man and a woman have been sentenced.

Two further individuals are also due to be sentenced next month for their involvement in one of the offences.

At approximately 9.10pm on September 24, 2023, a Range Rover was set alight outside a property in Downsway, Woodingdean.

Emergency services attended the scene, where the front end of the vehicle was found engulfed in flames.

The following evening, at around 10pm on September 25, a second fire was reported in Down Terrace, Brighton.

A large blaze had been started outside the property, quickly spreading into the building.

A woman, along with her dog, became trapped inside the property, but managed to escape through an upstairs window and onto the roof before the fire completely engulfed her home.

While emergency services were responding to the fire in Down Terrace, at around 10.25pm, East Sussex Fire and Rescue were called to an address in Norwich Crescent, Brighton, where a fire had been discovered outside another property.

The blaze caused damage to a window frame, but it was quickly extinguished before further harm could occur.

Accelerants were found to have been used in all three incidents, prompting a full investigation to identify those responsible.

Through a series of detailed enquiries, four suspects were identified:
· Callum Radband, 26, of Curf Way, Burgess Hill
· Elle-Mai Dunford, 21, of Grove Road, Eastbourne
· Marcus Murphy, 28, of Cantelupe Road, Bexhill-on-Sea
· Bronnie Richards, 26, of Cantelupe Road, Bexhill-on-Sea

Murphy and Richards were arrested on October 2, 2023, and released on conditional bail to allow for further enquiries to take place.

On October 5, 2023, Radband was arrested. Due to a breach of licence conditions for an unrelated matter, he was recalled to prison.

Dunford was arrested on October 13, 2023, and charged the following day with two counts of arson with intent to endanger life, along with one count of arson. She was initially remanded in custody, but later released on conditional bail.

Richards and Murphy were re-interviewed under caution on February 9, 2024, before being charged on March 24, 2024, with two counts of arson with intent to endanger life and one count of arson.

Both appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court on April 24, 2024, where they were conditionally bailed.

Radband was charged on March 28, 2024, with the same offences and remanded into custody after his appearance at Brighton Magistrates' Court on May 15, 2024.

As the investigation progressed, videos showing two of the fires being committed were uncovered, linking both Dunford and Radband to the Down Terrace and the Norwich Crescent arsons.

Further CCTV footage corroborated their involvement, as well as the involvement of Murphy and Richards in the Norwich Crescent fire.

On October 9, 2024, at Hove Crown Court, Dunford pleaded guilty to her role in all three fires ahead of trial.

The trial of Radband, Murphy, and Richards began on November 5, 2024, at Lewes Crown Court, and lasted for nearly four weeks.

On December 2, 2024, the jury returned their verdicts.

Radband was found guilty of committing arson, reckless as to whether life was endangered, in relation to both fires on September 25, 2023. He was found not guilty of arson in relation to the Range Rover fire, due to a lack of evidence at the judge’s direction.

Both Murphy and Richards were found guilty of arson in relation to the fire at Norwich Crescent on September 25, 2023. They were acquitted of the Range Rover fire and the Down Terrace fire.

Dunford and Radband were sentenced together on Monday, January 20 at Lewes Crown Court.

Dunford was handed a jail term of seven years and four months, and Radband, six years and eight months.

Richards and Murphy are due to be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on February 17.

The investigating officer leading the case, Emily Farley said,

“This was a deeply concerning series of incidents, where multiple fires were deliberately set, causing significant damage to homes and personal property.

“A tireless effort was invested to piece together the evidence, helped by the cooperation of the community throughout police enquiries.

“Such actions not only endanger lives, but also devastate the sense of safety in our neighbourhoods.

“Dunford and Radband have now been given substantial sentences for the serious roles they played, and we await the further sentencing of Richards and Murphy on February 17.”