THE jail term handed to a former landlord who set the pub building alight has been challenged as too lenient.

Timothy Sharp was lying on the roof of the Old Swan Inn on Gargrave High Street bleeding heavily after starting the fire on July 7, 2020.

He was rescued by firefighters and went on to admit arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The pub engulfed in fire. Picture by Martyn Hughes, fire serviceThe pub engulfed in fire. Picture by Martyn Hughes, fire service

The actions of Sharp, aged 55, caused £1.4 million of damage to the Grade II listed former coaching inn.

Last month, in June, he was jailed for three years and four months, but his term has now been challenged under a scheme that allows “unduly lenient” sentences to be looked at again.

The Attorney General must now decide whether to refer Sharp’s sentence to the Court of Appeal.

The scheme itself allows victims of crime, their families, prosecutors and the public to ask the Law Officers to review sentences for certain crimes that they believe are too low.

Prosecutor Laura Addy told Bradford Crown Court today that he and his then partner Lindsay Williamson had been running the three-storey pub since 2017.

Their relationship deteriorated and Sharp became depressed, erratic and argumentative.

Sharp posted a warning on Facebook before setting 12 fires in the pub, climbing onto the roof and refusing to come down.

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