An explosion that destroyed six houses in a Derby street was triggered when a man deliberately cut a gas pipe and set fire to a chair after being kicked out by his partner, a court has heard.
Footage released by Derbyshire Constabulary captured the catastrophic moment the front of 58-year-old Paul Solway’s former partner’s home was blown out into Eden Street, Alvaston, as a car drove perilously past. The blast on 10 June 2025 was so severe that two neighbouring properties had to be demolished alongside the targeted house, with several others on the street suffering major damage.
Dispute triggered ‘meltdown’
The court was told the incident followed a dispute between Solway and his partner, Joanna Waterfall, which led to her asking him to leave her home. Derbyshire Constabulary stated that Solway was having a “meltdown” at the time. In the aftermath, Ms Waterfall lost most of her possessions.
Legal reasoning behind 11-year term
Solway, of no fixed address, was jailed for 11 years on Wednesday 8 April after admitting to six counts of damaging property being reckless as to whether life was endangered. This legal charge, relating to each of the six houses affected, is a serious offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. It does not require proof that the defendant intended to endanger life, only that they were aware of a risk that life could be endangered by their reckless actions and proceeded regardless.
The sentence reflects the high level of recklessness involved in deliberately severing a gas main and igniting it in a residential street, an act the court found created a clear and extreme danger to the lives of neighbours and passers-by. The substantial prison term also accounts for the scale of the destruction, which rendered multiple homes uninhabitable and devastated a residential community.
Following the sentencing at Derby Crown Court, Ms Waterfall expressed her dismay at the length of the term handed down. “I think it should have been more,” she said. “Eleven years for six houses. It’s nothing, isn’t it?”
