During a legal proceeding, Police Constable Gemma Quinn addressed her response to a 999 call placed by Michelle Pearson. Pearson had contacted emergency services to report threats made by Zak Bolland. PC Quinn testified that, at the time of the call, she assessed the situation and concluded that Bolland was making 'empty threats.' Consequently, she determined that an arrest was not required.

This testimony centers on the events leading up to a subsequent arson attack perpetrated by Bolland. The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of Pearson's children. The investigation into the police response has focused on whether earlier intervention could have prevented the tragedy. While the BBC report focuses on the officer's internal assessment of the threat level, it does not detail the specific criteria used by the officer to categorize the threats as 'empty,' nor does it provide the perspective of the victims' families regarding the police handling of the initial complaint. The case remains a significant point of scrutiny regarding how law enforcement evaluates domestic and neighborhood disputes involving prior threats of violence.