A drunken pensioner who was angry when he thought his wallet had been stolen set fire to a mattress and then squared up to those who came to rescue him.
Albert Evans, 72, lost his temper after going to the property in Y Wern in Wrexham , and decided to start a fire with a cigarette lighter.
When a have-a-go hero came to his aide, Evans told him to shut up. When the man, Andrew Gibson, returned with another man to try to get Evans to leave the burning flat, Evans put his fists up to them.
Evans, of Crescent Close in Wrexham, had been drinking before the incident in July, and told police who interviewed him afterwards that he had “wanted to go up and burn with the flat”.
He had gone there with some others who he claimed had stolen his wallet and run off with it. He then set light to the mattress.
Mr Gibson, who was passing, saw the flames through the bedroom window, and despite Evans’ refusal of help he managed to put the blaze out.
Judge Rowlands, sitting at Mold Crown Court, told Evans that whatever had gone on before, whatever the provocation, his actions had been an incredibly dangerous thing to do.
“You had far too much to drink, you were feeling angry and upset, and started a fire by way of revenge against the occupant of the flat.
“A fair amount of damage was caused although it would have been far, far worse but for the bravery of Mr Gibson.”
To make matters worse Evans had a long history of offending including two convictions for arson in 2013 and 2014.
“On any view you are far too old to be serving a custodial sentence at all, let alone one of some length,” he said.
But it was a deliberate fire, set when he was drunk in a block of flats with real risks to others, set against two previous convictions for arson, he said, and jailed him for four years.
Police found him“highly intoxicated” and when an officer asked what had happened, he said: “I set fire to the f..... place”.
He said he was homeless and that was why he had set the flat on fire.
Two lighters were found on him and interviewed he said he was drinking with some others on a bench and one suggested they went back to his flat.
Evans said that he was then left alone in the flat and he realised that someone from the group had stolen his wallet, which had £100 inside.
In revenge he set the fire “in anger and vengeance” but never meant any harm to other people.
Evans said he did throw cup of water at the fire but it didn’t work, then other residents came and put it out.
Charged he said: “I’m deeply sorry. I didn’t do it to endanger life. I did it because they stole my money.”
Defending barrister Mark Connor said that his client had shown genuine remorse, he was distraught at the loss of his wallet and money, and it was accepted the fire was an act of revenge.
His judgement was no doubt clouded by his consumption of alcohol.
see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/albert-evans-wrexham-flat-fire-11940113
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