A retired senior detective superintendent tragically died in a fire that engulfed his Somerset home after he locked himself in his bedroom, the inquest has revealed. Malcolm Baker, 60, an ex-Metropolitan Police detective superintendent, was found dead following a fire that started shortly after police arrived at his residence on the evening of September 14, 2022.
The police responded to a call from Mr. Baker’s wife, Francesca Onody, after a confrontation between the couple. Married for nearly 20 years with two children, the couple was amid a contentious divorce. Throughout that summer, police had been called multiple times due to allegations Ms. Onody made against Mr. Baker, including domestic abuse and financial fraud.
According to the inquest in Wells, Somerset, family members expressed concerns about Mr. Baker’s mental health and heavy drinking. Disturbingly, he had also begun storing petrol canisters on the property.
READ MORE: Man Launches Heartfelt Protest to Bring Back Thatchers Redwood Cider
READ MORE: Pupils Thrive at Herons’ Moor Academy Where Language and Kindness Lead the Way
Body-worn camera footage from the attending Avon and Somerset officers captured Mr. Baker’s responses during the tense standoff. When told police might need to force entry for a welfare check, he insisted: “You don’t need to force entry, I am fine. I am going through a very horrible divorce — it’s a civil matter, not criminal. I don’t need any help, I just need to work this through with my solicitor. My wife is being horrible, I don’t need any help. My wife is doing this tactically to ruin me.”
When asked if he had anything to harm himself with, he replied firmly, “No, I am fine. I don’t need the police, you have far better things to do. My wife is escalating this to make it difficult for me.”
Tragically, just minutes after the officers left his bedroom to confer with colleagues, petrol vapors were detected seeping into the ground floor, prompting an evacuation. A fire quickly erupted, destroying the cottage and claiming Mr. Baker’s life.
Only limited remains were recovered, making the precise cause of death unascertainable. Fire investigation manager John Donovan, from Devon and Somerset Fire Service, testified that the fire likely originated from petrol fumes ignited by an electrical source on the ground floor.
“Our investigation showed a deflagration—a rapid combustion event—on the ground floor that forced window frames outward due to the shockwave. Petrol vapors had leaked down from the first-floor bedroom,” Donovan explained. “The vapors likely ignited upon contact with an electrical item. Items like a television, computer, and a snake terrarium were found but too damaged to pinpoint the ignition source.”
Importantly, officers ruled out Mr. Baker as the fire’s direct cause since he was locked upstairs when the fire began, and they found no evidence of third-party involvement, as anyone igniting the petrol would have been severely burned in the resulting blast.
Donovan emphasized, “If anyone else had started the fire, they would have been injured by the deflagration. We found no evidence supporting that. Given the circumstances, it seems most probable an electrical source on the ground floor ignited the petrol fumes, but the destruction prevents definitive identification.”
The inquest has been adjourned until Thursday for further proceedings.