AN ARSONIST and murderer who poured kerosene through the letterbox of a family's home almost 14 years ago has never been brought to justice.

James Tomlin was asleep at the home he lived in with his partner and two sons when the killer struck in the early hours of August 15, 2005.

The 36-year-old engineer, of Prospect Grove, Windhill, Shipley, was trapped in a back bedroom and smashed a window and leaped into the back yard to escape. He suffered a cardiac arrest, but a post-mortem examination established he died from inhalation of smoke and gases from the fire.

Also in the home was hit partner, Sonia Chadwick, aged 26 at the time, and six months pregnant with their child, and their two sons, Scott and Dominic, then aged six and four.

Miss Chadwick and her sons were trapped in a front bedroom, but the mum made a frantic 999 call and followed the instructions of a call operator to stay low to the ground.

All of them were rescued by firefighters, who were on the scene within two minutes. An inquest in 2012 heard they had been seconds from death.

Miss Chadwick went on to give birth to a healthy baby boy, who she named James after his dad.

At the time of the arson, Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan, who was leading the investigation, said the murder appeared to be motiveless and he could not rule out that the wrong house might have been targeted. He made it clear that Mr Tomlin was not a criminal, or involved in the drugs scene.

All of the investigations revealed that Mr Tomlin was a quiet family man and part of a well-respected family in the area.

Fire investigator Keith Robinson said tapes of Miss Chadwick's phonecall were "harrowing" and would live with those who heard them for the rest of their lives.

A specially trained sniffer dog was brought in to search the house for accelerant after fire investigators were drawn to the matt by the front door.

Mr Robinson said at the time: "A kerosene fire is very rapid.

"Once ignited nothing will stop it. It will take everything in its way."

Police believed the murderer would have confided in someone about what he had done because the burden would be too much to bear alone.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "Unsolved cases such as the death of Mr Tomlin are never closed and are subject to regular reviews in line with forensic advances or where new information comes to light.”