Two men who set fire to the Alhambra Theatre causing £22,500 damage have been jailed at Leeds Crown Court.
Ian Manning and Ricky Stewart had made ‘a mindless attack on a much-loved theatre in Bradford,’ the judge sentencing them said today.
Manning, 35, of Nottingham Street, Bradford Moor, Bradford, and Stewart, 24, of North Marine Road, Scarborough, were convicted by a jury after a trial at Bradford Crown Court in January of setting fire to the theatre, often described as the jewel in Bradford's crown, on January 17, 2020.
They were sentenced on a video link from HMP Leeds where they were remanded in custody. Each was imprisoned for 12 months for the arson attack on the 1,400-seater theatre.
The Alhambra was the vision of Francis Laidler, a local impresario who had the idea to build a brand new theatre in 1912 and it was two years later that his dream was realised.
Recorder Anthony Hawks said: “It’s an icon of the city and the citizens of Bradford are very proud of it.”
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The damage to the Bradford Council owned building was ‘relatively minor’ he stated but he told the men: “For all you knew you could have burned the whole theatre down and caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage.”
Manning also received a three-year consecutive sentence for a separate offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to run consecutively with the 12 months, making a total of four years.
His barrister Christopher Styles said in mitigation that his client had serious mental health problems, a learning difficulty and no previous convictions for violence or arson.
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The Section 18 GBH was admitted on the basis that he did not start the violence. He stepped in to help a woman who was being assaulted by another man. He was repeatedly pushing her and ‘ragging her around.’ Manning stepped in to assist her and lost control because he had been drinking.
The victim sustained a fracture to the orbital region of the skull that did not require sur-gery. It was not ‘a grave or a life-threatening injury.’ Mr Styles said.
He was out of hospital in 48 hours and there were no long-term effects.
Manning was downing four to five litres of cider a day at the time and while on remand he had stopped drinking alcohol. He was a highly vulnerable man with a number of serious problems.
He had no record for setting fires or damaging property and he wasn’t by nature a vio-lent man. The probation and psychological reports had detailed his mental health and learning difficulties.
Recorder Hawks accepted that Manning was going to the assistance of the woman and in no way initiated the violence. After that he lost control because he had been drinking and kicked and stamped on the man on the ground.
PC Natasha Morgan of Bradford City Centre Neighbourhood Team said: "I welcome the sentence handed down today to Stewart and Manning, they deliberately started the fire and have shown no regard for the damage it caused.
"The consequences could have been far worse, and it is by sheer luck that no one was injured in this fire.
"More than £20,000 pounds worth of damage was caused to the historic building which is a great part of Bradford’s history."
The Alhambra is regarded as the North's premier receiving venue and hosts large scale entertainment from international dance to musicals, drama and Yorkshire's biggest pantomime.
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