A CONVICTED sex offender died in an arson attack on his Burnley home by a man who had taunted him over his criminal record, a court heard.

A jury at Preston Crown Court was told that Christopher Holgate had been "wound up" over Ivan Parker's conviction for indecent assault and had called him a "beast" but then told police he had tried to rescue his victim from the blaze.

The 47-year-old victim died from the effects of smoke in a severe blaze at his terraced home in Clay Street, Burnley, in March of last year.

Mr Parker also suffered a stab wound to the groin, but the prosecution could not say how it had been caused.

Holgate, 35, of Brush Street, Burnley, denies murder.

Mr David Aubrey QC, prosecuting, said Mr Parker had lived a desperate life in squalid, filthy conditions and was a heavy drinker.

Shortly after 2am on the morning of Saturday, March 20, last year, the defendant had made a 999 call.

He said he had tried to get a man out of the house, but could not and that he could be dead.

Firefighters went upstairs and saw Mr Parker's body on a bed.

He was bleeding from a six-centimetre deep wound to the groin area. A post mortem examination showed that he died from the effects of smoke. Holgate told a fire officer that he had tried to enter with another man, but it was too hot.

Later that same morning he telephoned the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and told a reporter how he had tried to get into the house, the court heard.

Mr Aubrey claimed Holgate had set fire to material around the chair in the front living room.

The court heard that in June 1988, Mr Parker had been convicted of indecently assault a female. It was suspected in the neighbourhood that he had committed other sex offences.

Mr Aubrey added: "We submit the defendant's attitude was that Ivan Parker had to be taught a lesson, even if that resulted in death."

He said on Thursday, March 18, just after midnight, he took a friend to Mr Parker's home and the defendant punched him, calling him a beast.

And the following day a policeman had to go to the house following a report of a group of youths banging on Mr Parker's door.

The defendant said that Mr Parker was a "paedophile" who was "not fit to be alive."

It is further alleged that as he was leaving a pub late on Friday night he told someone he was going to torch Ivan Parker's home because he was a beast.

The Crown also claim there is evidence that Holgate bragged about killing Mr Parker.

Following his arrest Holgate is said to have told a detective constable while being fingerprinted that he had not meant to do it.

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