Derby man jailed 11 years for gas blast that wrecked six homes
Derby man jailed 11 years for gas blast that wrecked six homes
Derby man Paul Solway caused a gas leak and blast after his partner kicked him out; 11-year sentence.
A Derby man, Paul Solway, has been jailed for 11 years after causing a gas explosion that damaged six terrace houses in Alvaston, Derby, when his partner kicked him out.
Solway, 58, suffered serious burns and was placed in a medically induced coma after tampering with a gas pipe, igniting a chair and sparking a blast that sent the front wall of his partner Joanne Waterfall’s home crashing into the street. The explosion damaged six homes and forced the demolition of two neighbouring properties.
At a hearing in January, Solway admitted six counts of damaging property being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He appeared by video link from HMP Nottingham, wearing a green T-shirt and a white bandage around one arm.
Waterfall, who walked away with only one outfit, said she had started from zero and that she had never received an apology. She said she believed Solway had plotted the crime and wanted to get back at her, adding that 11 years felt insufficient for the damage caused.
Judge Shaun Smith KC described the sentencing as a response to a disaster that affected an entire community. "The effects were devastating," he said, noting that residents lost savings and had to rely on council-provided accommodation. The blast left the street scarred and prompted the demolition of two neighbouring properties, with thousands of pounds in damage across the affected homes.
The case highlights the far-reaching consequences of a single, violent act. Solway, of no fixed address, now faces the consequences of his actions from a custodial setting, while Waterfall and the other residents begin the long process of rebuilding their lives.
