21-Year-Old Student Who Confessed To Murdering Step-Grandmother In Truth Or Dare Game Gets Life Sentence

A 21-year-old student who reportedly confessed to murdering his step-grandmother in a game of truth or dare has been sentenced to life in prison.

Tiernan Darnton, 21, has been sentenced to life in prison after he allegedly killed his 94-year-old step-grandmother, Mary Gregory, by setting fire to a curtain at her bungalow in Levens Drive, North West England on May 28, 2018. Before setting the curtain ablaze, he reportedly dismantled the fire alarm, blocked a set of doors, and cut the phone line to prevent her from escaping or calling for help, BBC reported.

When firefighters rushed to the scene, Gregory was discovered lying under a table in the conservatory of her smoke-filled bungalow in Heysham, Lancashire, North West England. Even though she was quickly rushed to a hospital for treatment, she succumbed to her injuries and died four days later.

The Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service initially ruled Gregory's death as an accident caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette.

However, the officers reopened the case in May 2019 after they were alerted of a statement that Darnton had told his counselor and his stepfather, Chris Gregory, 66. Darnton allegedly told them that he had killed Gregory by setting fire to a curtain at her home and that several others knew about the crime.

Further investigation revealed that Darnton had made a similar confession several weeks after Gregory’s death, during a game of truth or dare with two friends, the Guardian reported.

“I have a secret I haven’t told anyone. I may have killed someone,” he allegedly told his friends during the game. When his pals pressured him to divulge more about the crime, he told them that he started the fire because he did not want Gregory to suffer any longer from dementia.

However, Darnton later claimed that he was only trying to impress his "edgy" friends and that he was just seeking attention from the counselor. He added that the counselor had also fabricated parts of their conversation.

When officers examined his mobile phone and laptops, they reportedly found disturbing internet searches made after the attack. The searches included several statements such as: “I’m a murderer,” “I’m a monster and I’m going to hell,” “I want to cause evil” and “urge to kill again.”

Apart from the internet searches, several "disturbing material" including plans to stalk and attack women and a "kill list" with people's names on it was found in his possession.

Darnton, who was a former student at Kendal College and Lancaster & Morecambe College, was finally arrested at his family home in Combermere Road, Heysham, in May 2019.

Darnton had denied the murder but was convicted by a jury on Thursday, Nov. 11, at Preston Crown Court. He has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 15 years.