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Murder of Francesca Bimpson

SOLVED2008Everton, Liverpool, England3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 2 December 2008, shortly after midnight, the home of the Bimpson family in the Everton district of Liverpool was deliberately set on fire. Investigators determined the fire to be an act of arson. Francesca's mother, father, brother, and two sisters managed to escape the burning house, but three-year-old Francesca became trapped in a bedroom. She was rescued by firefighters but suffered severe injuries and died in hospital on 23 December 2008, three weeks after the fire.

Authorities subsequently arrested Graham Heaps in connection with the arson. Investigators alleged that the fire was an act of retaliation against the Bimpson family, stemming from the end of a romantic relationship between Heaps and Francesca's aunt approximately four to five months prior to the attack.

On 7 December 2009, Graham Heaps was convicted of the murder of Francesca Bimpson and sentenced to life imprisonment. Under the terms of his sentence, he will become eligible for parole in 2037, after serving a minimum of 28 years.

Key facts

Victims
Francesca Bimpson
Date
2008
Location
Everton, Liverpool, England
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2008-12-02

    Arson attack on the Bimpson family home in Everton, Liverpool, shortly after midnight; three-year-old Francesca Bimpson trapped in a bedroom and rescued by firefighters, while other family members escaped.

  2. 2008-12-23

    Francesca Bimpson dies in hospital from injuries sustained in the fire.

  3. 2009-12-07

    Graham Heaps convicted of Francesca Bimpson's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

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People

  • Graham Heaps

    CONVICTED

    Convicted on 7 December 2009 of the murder of Francesca Bimpson and sentenced to life imprisonment, with parole eligibility in 2037 after serving 28 years.

  • Francesca Bimpson

    VICTIM

    Three-year-old girl who died from injuries sustained in an arson attack on her family's home.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Everton, Liverpool, England

53.4262, -2.9667

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Three-year-old Francesca Bimpson died on 23 December 2008 from injuries sustained in an arson attack on her family's home in Everton, Liverpool. Graham Heaps was convicted of her murder in December 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Where did the murder happen?
Everton, Liverpool, England.
Who was convicted?
Graham Heaps (Convicted on 7 December 2009 of the murder of Francesca Bimpson and sentenced to life imprisonment, with parole eligibility in 2037 after serving 28 years.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in England

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Francesca BimpsonWikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. PRESSMan who killed girl in fire jailed for lifeReuters · 2026-07-05
  3. PRESSFrancesca Bimpson: Her final terrifying momentsliverpoolecho.co.uk · 2026-07-05

Record history

First published
JUL 05, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 05, 2026