Fire alarm 'was silenced as man burned to death in bed'.

(From Belfast Telegraph)

Byline: Brian Huttonnewsdesk@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

STAFF at a sheltered housing complex in Belfast repeatedly silenced a fire alarm while a paralysed resident was burning to death in his bed, an inquest has been told.

John Collins (47), formerly known as Frederick Joseph Sweet, had been living in a one bedroom flat at Greenville Court, Bloomfield, for around 18 months at the time of his death.

Firefighter Gary Kernaghan told a Coroner's Court yesterday that when he arrived at the scene of the fire on August 31, 2001, Mr Collins was kneeling on his bed as three-feet tall flames licked around him.

He …