A court has heard how two women suffered horrific facial and body burns when a tabletop heater exploded into a fireball during a birthday celebration at a Suffolk pub. The incident occurred after a friend allegedly squirted flammable fuel onto the device, causing catastrophic injuries.
Birthday Celebration Turns to Tragedy
April Charlesworth, a 31-year-old videographer, was celebrating her 28th birthday at the Kings Head pub in Great Cornard, Suffolk, when the explosion happened. The outing on April 24, 2021, marked the cousins' first night out following the Covid lockdown restrictions, with the group sitting at tables in the pub car park on what was described as a cold evening.
April's brother, Sam Charlesworth, had retrieved a tabletop heater and a bottle of ethanol from their mother's nearby home to provide warmth for the gathering. After lighting the heater, he reportedly placed the fuel bottle in a bag before briefly leaving the area. Upon his return, he heard screaming and saw flames engulfing the table, immediately realising his sister and cousin had been severely injured.
Witness Accounts of the Explosion
During proceedings at Ipswich Crown Court, witness Mark Lawrence provided a detailed account of what transpired. He described seeing the defendant, Dale Carter, pour fuel from a bottle on the table onto the heater. The first attempt produced a flame that flashed approximately a foot from the device before disappearing.
The second attempt proved catastrophic, with the flame being sucked back into the bottle, causing it to explode and transform into what Lawrence described as 'a rocket'. The explosion simultaneously set the table alight, creating a dangerous fireball.
Another witness, Danny Wheeler, corroborated this account, stating that during the second fuel application, the lid and end of the bottle were blown off completely. The resulting fire ignited Carter's hair and several people's clothing, creating a scene of chaos and panic.
Severe Injuries and Life-Altering Consequences
April Charlesworth sustained agonising injuries to her neck, hands, and face, requiring extensive medical treatment and leaving her wearing a compression mask during her recovery. In a previous statement, the mother-of-one revealed the profound psychological impact of the incident, stating: 'It was difficult to readjust to normal life. It still is. I still don't like going out by myself, it completely changed me as a person even now.'
Her cousin, Ashleigh Charlesworth, a 32-year-old former children's nurse, suffered burns to her chest, face, and hands so severe that her airway began to swell, necessitating ventilator support in hospital. The court heard that her injuries have forced her to abandon her nursing career and transition to working as a clinician for the NHS 111 service instead.
Contested Accounts and Trial Proceedings
Dale Carter, 30, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm. During cross-examination, Sam Charlesworth testified that he had warned Carter about the dangers of handling the heater and fuel improperly, even joking about 'not setting anybody on fire'. He claimed Carter had waved his hand through the flame twice while declaring himself 'Iron Man'.
Under questioning from Carter's defence barrister, Michael Epstein, Charlesworth denied leaving the ethanol bottle on the table or being mistaken about his warnings to the defendant. Epstein acknowledged the horror of what occurred but characterised the incident as a 'freak accident' during his examination of witnesses.
The trial continues as the court works to establish the precise circumstances surrounding this devastating incident that has permanently altered the lives of two women and their families.
