Wrexham,North Wales - Accused denies carrying out deliberate car blazes in Wrexham

Published date: 27 January 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A MAN has denied being responsible for torching seven cars within an hour in Wrexham.

The prosecution says Alan Lloyd Paul Evans, of Percy Road, Wrexham, was caught on CCTV systems in the streets where the cars were set alight at the appropriate time.

Mold Crown Court heard he had also sent a message the following day to a family member to say he had “messed up big time” and was going to hand himself in to the police.

But Evans, 38, denies involvement and has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of arson after the vehicle fires in the Hightown area on October 24. 

Prosecutor Richard Edwards said the fires occurred between 6.40am and about 7.05am in Stuart Street, Hilbre Road, Waterloo Close and Percy Road. 

In each case a naked flame was held to the number plates and the fires took some time to take hold, eventually engulfing the vehicles.

Tests carried out by the fire and rescue service showed it took just over half an hour for that to take place. 

The prosecutor said Evans was caught on CCTV at a service station and he produced a map showing which way it was alleged he had gone home.

 A Suzuki wagon was set alight in Stuart Street, a Peugeot 206 in Hilbre Road, a Peugeot 307 in Waterloo Close which damaged another Peugeot and a Nissan parked nearby. 

Another Peugeot was set alight in Waterloo Close and the final one was a Honda Civic in Percy Road. There a neighbour disturbed Evans as he arrived home and he later discovered his registration plate had scorch marks on it.

Evans was arrested after being seen on the CCTV at the garage and a person of the same description was seen on residential CCTV systems during the journey home.

Evans gave no comment in police interview.

Mr Edwards told the jury the issue for the them was “who did it?”.

“The prosecution say it was the defendant who started the fires. He was out in the early hours of the morning, and the times on the CCTV coincide with the fires as they progress,” he said.

The trial before the Recorder Simon Mills is proceeding.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/157769/accused-denies-carrying-out-deliberate-car-blazes-in-wrexham.aspx