Yahoo News 'I thought my ex was going to kill me and my kids... we woke up to a loud bang - we're traumatised'
A young woman has described how her ex-boyfriend conspired to set her home on fire while she slept inside with her two young children - one his own daughter.
The attack came days after Cory Evans, 26, set alight a car outside the property, which created flames so large the blaze spread to a second car, cracked the family home's windows and left the children covered in black soot.
Chloe Wallis has bravely spoken out about her ordeal, slamming social services for not stepping in while her children were in danger. The council in charge of providing social services, however, has said it remains satisfied the family were offered extensive and appropriate support by various agencies, including offers of temporary accommodation.
The 24-year-old from Bridgend, Wales, said she reported Evans to social services after the first incident, but was left with no option but to return to the property before the second and potentially fatal incident happened. "I genuinely felt like he was going to kill me and my children and that the social services - who were supposed to be there for my children - couldn't care if my kids died," she said.
Evans was convicted of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, and attempted arson with intent to endanger life. He's now been jailed for 15 years. Three others - Paul James, 40, Carl Rowe, 42, and Danielle Lewis-Rowe, 38 - have also been jailed. All three were found guilty of attempting to commit arson while being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
James got six years, Rowe five years and Lewis-Rowe - his wife - four years, reports WalesOnline.
Describing how her relationship with Evans started, Chloe said he seemed like a "charming" guy. She said the pair maintained a happy relationship, until she discovered she was pregnant in May, 2021. Chloe said Evans became threatening in arguments.
"I think it was all about control," she said. "He thought by having a child with me he had me and he thought he could control me through that."
Chloe said she tried to leave, but he would threaten her and her family. She said: “While I was pregnant I went into a refuge for months from around October, 2021. I genuinely thought it was easier to be with him than to try and leave him because I was scared of what was going to happen to me and my children if I did leave. He was promising me the world. Back then I was young and I didn’t really know what else to do in that situation.
"He promised me this perfect family and I wanted to believe it." Chloe said the final straw came in April, 2022 - three months after she gave birth to Evans' child - when she finally ended the relationship for good. However, Chloe said the threats continued.
She described how Evans made attempts to worm his way back into her life.
On April 2, 2023, Evans set a car on fire outside Chloe’s home, which belonged to her new partner. She said: “It happened at 1.20am and we woke up to a loud bang. The flames were as big as my house and so close that my windows cracked. After that we stayed out, we were traumatised and the kids were traumatised."
She said she reported the incident to the police and to social services, but said she was told there was nothing social services could do. She said she had no choice but to return to the property the following evening. Her family, she added, was lucky to be alive after what happened next.
A sentencing held at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Tuesday heard how on April 5, 2023 - three days after the first incident - Evans convinced the three others to 'do his dirty work for him'. The court heard Rowe drove his wife and James to Chloe's house, stopping on the way to pick up a jerry can and accelerant.
Arriving at the house, James jumped out of the car and approached the property with the can full of petrol. He was seen on CCTV footage getting spooked by a security light, before making a second attempt 30 minutes later and successfully pouring the liquid into the letterbox.
Thankfully, Chloe's partner heard what sounded like liquid coming through the letterbox. the petrol wasn't lit and the family escaped and dialled 999. Chloe said she has now received support from social services.
A council spokesman said: "Miss Wallis and her family have been through a dreadful experience, and we hope the fact that the perpetrators have been brought to justice will offer them all some reassurance. While we are unable to discuss confidential cases in specific detail, the council remains satisfied that the family has been offered extensive and appropriate support by various lead agencies, and that this has included offers of temporary accommodation.
"We are pleased to note that Miss Wallis has indicated her satisfaction with the level of support that she is receiving from social workers, and would be happy to meet with her to discuss and clarify any part of this in more detail."
