18 hours ago
Mum of Sunderland boy killed when arsonists targeted wrong home relives last 'goodnight'
When Dean Pike's mum said "goodnight" to him by his bedroom door she had no idea that she was really saying goodbye.
The 11-year-old was killed when a fierce fire was set at the home he shared with Janine Dodd as the mum and son slept in what should have been the safety of their bedrooms. Janine, who was six-month's pregnant at the time somehow survived the deadly blaze, despite being left critically injured after being blown out of a window.
It would later be revealed that the fire that stole innocent Dean's life was started by Terry Majinusz and Neil English who had planned to target a different family as part of a feud that had nothing to do with SAFC-fan Dean or his mum. But tragically the bungling arsonists got the address wrong and poured lighter fluid through the letter box at Dean's home on Mordey Close, in Sunderland, instead of the intended property in a neighbouring street.
And when the fuel was ignited, at around 1am, it caused a huge blaze that almost completely destroyed the house. Firefighters found Dean's body on the landing.
It has now been 20 years since the night, in June 2005, that changed Janine's life forever.
And today in an emotional interview the brave 49-year-old has spoken of her last memories of Dean, the moment she was told he had died, and how she rebuilt her life that could have been completely destroyed.
Janine said: "Dean was in his own home at night in his own bed, in the safest place possible in the protection of his mother. In the house with the door locked is the safest place you can be. But he still lost his life because of one stupid incident that changed my life forever.
"To me it still feels like he's still here. The last I saw of him was when I said goodnight to him on the landing. It's something I don't think I will ever get my head around. It goes round and round in my head every day."
Dean and Janine had only lived in the house a matter of weeks when it was set on fire. Together they had been preparing for the arrival of the new baby with football-loving Dean looking forward to becoming a big brother. On the night of the tragedy the mum and son both went to bed at around 10pm.
And Janine can vividly remember saying goodnight to her son on the landing before they both went into their own rooms. It would be the last time she ever saw him.
"It was a normal night," she said. "We went to bed at about 10pm. On the landing he said 'goodnight' but little did I know that 'goodnight' may as well have been 'goodbye'. That's the last memory I have of him. We were at home with the door locked in bed planning for the new baby coming. Dean was doing great at school, then just like that life changes."
Janine can not remember anything from after she went to sleep that night until she was woken in intensive care more than a week later and told her son had died.
"I don't remember anything after that until I was taken off life support support," she explained. "I I had come round, I was slowly getting my bearings then I was told I had been in a fire. I could barely even talk."
And when Janine asked where Dean was she was given the earth shattering news.
Meanwhile detectives were working to discover who could be responsible for the deadly blaze. And initially thought Janine was the intended target.
"The police were desperate to speak to me as soon as they could," Janine explained. "They were asking me who did I have grievances with and who would have done this ,and I said I didn't have any idea. It was as if I was keeping something back."
Police then brought in footage of the killers into hospital and played it to Janine. "They were asking me who these people were, but I didn't know," she said.
The arsonists were eventually thanks to forensic evidence was discovered.
"It was within a matter of weeks that they had forensics," said Janine. "And then the truth came out that it was nothing to do with me."
Along with the agony of losing her son Janine was also dealing with the devastating injuries she had suffered to her head and spine. Miraculously her unborn child had not been harmed in the fire or the fall. But the pregnancy meant medics could not perform surgery on Janine's spine meaning she spent the following months unable to move and in pain."
"I was in absolute agony I just lay there," she said. "They couldn't do surgery on my spine because I was pregnant so I just had to lie flat. They suggested I might not be able to walk again because of my injuries. I had to learn to walk again. I really don't know how I made it. They prepared my parents for the worst when I was in intensive care."
Janine was also faced with the reality that she would be welcoming a new son, just weeks after burying her first born.
"It was unbelievable. I think in the back of my mind I didn't want to be here," she said. "There was so much going on in my head."
And brave Janine even admits that she worried that she would not bond with her new baby. Although she now believes new son Mackenzie saved her life.
"I buried Dean on August 18 and then on September 23 Mackenzie was born," she explained. "Suddenly I had a new home and a new baby. It was like my life had been reset.
"It was like starting again. I was worried. I thought that my son who I had for 11 years wasn't here but now I have got this new baby I was worried I would reject him. But as soon as he was born I loved him instantly.
"I was really grateful that I had him. Mackenzie knows all about him, but he never got to know him. Dean had already bought little gifts for him. But they were all lost in the fire."
Majinusz, then 40, and English, then 43, denied charged of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent at court. But the pair were both convicted of murder and causing grievous bodily harm and jailed for life.
Janine has spent the past two decades doing everything she can to give Mackenzie a happy life, while keeping Dean's memory alive.
"It doesn't feel like 20 years ago. It pops into my mind every day. My brain can never make sense of it because I have got no visual memory of it. It's still hard to process anything," she said. "If it wasn't for Mackenzie I wouldn't still be here. I was torn between not wanting to be here and having to be here for Mackenzie. I'm grateful I'm still here and I'm able to keep Dean's memory alive.
"Dean was well known in the area. He was well thought of. I was surprised how many people did know him and still remember him. It's really nice when people ask us a question about him. They will say 'sorry' but I'm always happy to talk about him.
"Two things I have done well in life through all mum struggles was to have two lovely boys. People always comment on what a lovely lad Mackenzie is. I have never had any trouble from him.
"Dean possibly would have had his own family now. He was just football mad. He loved his football, he was a big Sunderland fan. He was such a laid back happy lad. Everybody says what a lovely lad he was. There's one of his friends that still regularly goes to his grave. It's really nice."
And Janine even says she has let go of some of the anger over the years, and instead pities her son's killers.
"I just think I have got to where I am today and I pity them now," she said. " I just think I have come out of this as best as I can and am living my life. I am remembering the happy times. Nobody says you have to be sad. I have got to carry on living my life and not be consumed by what happened."
Janine now works with students at Sunderland University on medical courses where she help them learn to ask sensitive questions.
"It's good to talk about him. He may not be here but he still is in a way," she said. "I love talking about Dean. People assume I don't want to talk about him. He was a lovely boy. Everyone that knew him says how lovely he was and that makes me proud."
