Man jailed for torching Accrington home (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Man jailed for torching Accrington home

2:50pm Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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A MAN who torched a mid terrace house in the early hours after smashing his way in with an accomplice has been jailed for three years four months.

Troubled Jonathan Cooper, 24, who was with his uncle Christopher Heys, had thrown a breeze block through the window of terrified Stephen Rainey's Monk Street, Accrington home.

Once inside, Cooper started the blaze 'on the spur of the moment'.

Mr Rainey, who was seeing Mr Heys's ex-partner, was put at risk, as were the defendent himself, neighbours, the police and fire officers.

Cooper, who was drunk and had been taking cannabis, was said to have an anti-social personality disorder, aggravated by alcohol and drugs.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt, said :"It is only though luck that the police attended very quickly, as did he fire brigade, that the damage wasn't worse."

Cooper, of Accrington Road, Blackburn, had admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and damage, last November.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said Mr Rainey was at home when at about 3am he heard banging and the sound of his door being kicked in. His window was then put through.

The victim fled the property in fear, called his sister and asked her to phone the police. Officers arrived shortly afterwards and found the defendant and Mr Heys upstairs. Mr Rainey could smell smoke and saw a fire had been started in the living room.

Miss Statham said the fire service found the seat of the fire was a quilt in a cupboard under the stairs. Fire officers using breathing apparatus had to go into the house but the blaze did not cause a lot of damage.

Daniel Prowse, for Cooper, said he was alcohol dependent and had been using cannabis heavily. It had been decided to go and confront Mr Rainey and Cooper foolishly decided to go along, Mr Prowse said.

The barrister said :"The decision to start the fire once inside the address was a spontaneous decision made there and then. He knows what he did was very dangerous and very stupid and he is genuinely sorry."