A DRUG and drink-fuelled man who deliberately set fire to his flat in desperation was very distressed when he feared his cat had perished in the blaze.
Paul Hegney used lighter fluid to ignite a pile of clothes on the bed at his Incommunities home in Nottingham Road, Tyersal, Bradford, at 5am on April 11.
He was jailed for 20 months at Bradford Crown Court yesterday after admitting arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Prosecutor Stephen Littlewood said Hegney was due to be evicted from the flat when he set it on fire.
His disabled neighbour, who lived in the flat immediately below, heard voices coming from Hegney’s address in the early hours. A woman screamed and there was the sound of breaking glass.
He called the police and they and the fire service were promptly on the scene.
Hegney, 53, said: “F*** it, it’s on fire,” and was immediately arrested.
He was shouting and swearing and saying there was no heating in the flat, Mr Littlewood told the court.
Fire investigators found that Hegney had used lighter fluid to start the blaze.
He became very distressed when he thought his cat had fallen victim to the fire.
“I can’t believe how selfish I was. I can’t believe what I did to him,” he said.
The court heard that no one was injured in the blaze and the cat escaped.
The burning mattress caused significant damage to the bed.
Hegney’s barrister, Jayne Beckett, said he was leading a chaotic lifestyle because of heroin, cocaine and alcohol abuse.
His psychiatrist said Hegney had suffered a breakdown before he started the fire.
He was about to be evicted from his home of 14 years.
“He could see no way out of the desperate situation he was in. The way he was living his life precipitated this mess,” Mrs Beckett said.
Since being remanded in custody, Hegney had weaned himself off illegal drugs and was in much better health. He had applied to help to paint the prison to keep himself occupied.
Judge Colin Burn said there was no realistic alternative to immediate custody.
Hegney was still struggling to accept that he started the fire while living a chaotic drug-fuelled lifestyle.
Judge Burn said that a blaze can be uncontrollable.
“Once you start a fire, there is no way of knowing where it is going to end,” he said.
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