Connor Pitt, Auryn Gustur, Alfie Wheeler, Lewis Manito (Image: South Wales Police)
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An elderly grandmother was forced to flee her home after a gang from Weston-super-Mare launched a petrol-fuelled arson attack on her property in the Rhondda Valleys, acting on the orders of an organised crime group based outside the UK.
The 82-year-old victim was asleep downstairs at her home in Protheroe Street, Ferndale, when the attack took place in the early hours of July 28, 2025. She was woken by the sound of glass smashing and could be heard screaming on CCTV as flames engulfed the front of the house.
The attack
The assault was carried out by four men – Connor Pitt, 24; Auryn Gustur, 19; Alfie Wheeler, 19; and Lewis Manito, 33 – all from Weston-super-Mare. South Wales Police said the attack stemmed from a criminal vendetta linked to a debt connected to a family member of the victim, who was described as wholly innocent.
Shortly after 11pm on July 27, a 19-year-old woman, Storm Truman, drove her white Seat Ibiza carrying Wheeler and Gustur from the Weston-super-Mare area to Ferndale, where they met Pitt. He had been driven separately to south Wales by Manito, whose vehicle was never recovered.
The group had brought two jerry cans of petrol. CCTV footage captured Wheeler and Pitt approaching the front of the property carrying the green cans, while Gustur used his phone to broadcast the attack as it unfolded.
The fire and its aftermath
An accelerant was used to start the blaze, which rapidly took hold of the front of the house and the cars parked outside. The fire was reported to police at 1.25am.
Neighbours and police officers helped the victim escape safely. Other residents in the street were evacuated and the fire service attended, with a major incident later declared. Around £650,000 of damage was caused to three properties, their contents and a car.
The arrests
While the incident was still ongoing, a roads policing officer on mobile patrol along the A470 towards the Coryton Interchange spotted the white Seat Ibiza. Intelligence indicated the car had recently made a rapid journey from Somerset to the Rhondda Valleys and back, and was linked to the supply of controlled drugs.
A stinger device was deployed to bring the vehicle to a stop. All four occupants were arrested by 1.50am – just 25 minutes after the fire was reported. Inside the car officers found a machete, hammer, gloves and a balaclava. The vehicle’s sat nav showed the Protheroe Street address had been entered as a destination.
Phone evidence
Analysis of mobile phones recovered from the Seat Ibiza identified Manito’s involvement, and he was subsequently arrested by Avon and Somerset Police in August 2025.
An emergency glass shatter hammer was also recovered from the street, along with CCTV evidence confirming the fire had been deliberately set.
Sentencing
All four men pleaded guilty at court:
- Connor Pitt admitted arson with intent to endanger life and received 18 years in prison
- Auryn Gustur admitted arson with intent to endanger life and received 15 and a half years in prison
- Alfie Wheeler admitted arson with intent to endanger life and possession of a bladed article relating to the machete, and received 13 years in prison
- Lewis Manito admitted arson recklessly endangering life and perverting the course of justice, and received nine years in prison
Storm Truman was found not guilty of arson.
Police response
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Owain Morrison said: “This was a cowardly attack on the home of an 82-year-old woman, organised and directed by a criminal figure due to a debt linked to the victim’s family member. The victim was wholly innocent.
“Those that carried out the attack did so for financial gain. They had little care of the consequences for the person in the house or their neighbours. They would have heard the victim screaming as they ignited the fire and made off from the scene. It is only by luck this was not a fatal attack.
“The professionalism of our Roads Policing Unit meant that four men were promptly arrested as they made their way to the M4.
“A team of dedicated investigators worked tirelessly to gather key evidence and identify other persons directly involved in the attack and bring them to justice.
“I would like to thank DC Cath Moore, the Officer in the Case, for her care and attention in building a compelling body of evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service to present to the court which is reflected in the guilty pleas.
“Above all I would like to thank the victim in this case, and their family, for their courage and patience whilst we investigated this matter.
“I would like to re-assure the community that the investigation to identify the person who directed this attack and bring them to justice is ongoing.”
