A ‘DANGEROUS’ man who tried to take his own life by setting his T-shirt alight when he was wearing it ended up setting fire to the house he was renting.

Burnley Crown Court heard just weeks after being arrested for that incident, Warren Richard Templeton, 35, smashed a vodka bottle into the face of his teenage autistic then-boyfriend.

Prosecuting, Stephen Parker said hours before the arson in Oxford Road, Brierfield, on November 12, Templeton called police complaining about people banging on his front door.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The house in Oxford Road, Brierfield, which Warren Richard Templeton set fire to

When police arrived Templeton, who had no injuries at the time, said he was somebody who suffered with his mental health but declined help when it was offered to him by the attending officer.

Mr Parker said that a few hours later the defendant phoned the emergency services again asking for police and the fire service, saying smoke was coming from houses behind his.

He said: “When the fire brigade and the police got there, there was a fire at the defendant’s property. There was a mattress behind the front door that had caught fire. The fire crew had to force their way in.

“It was noted by the first police officer that according to the defendant the fire was started by a burning T-shirt. The view of the fire officer at first was the mattress had been set on fire. When he was provided with information the defendant had thrown a burning T-shirt on to that mattress, he said that was a reasonable explanation of the cause.”

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Templeton was arrested and during police interview provided a prepared statement which read: “I accept setting fire to my home address last night. I didn’t intend to endanger life but I accept my actions were reckless. I set fire to myself and my T-shirt. I panicked and removed it and it set fire to the mattress. I am sorry for my reckless actions.”

The court heard Templeton was released by police under investigation but days later was admitted to Pendle View inpatient mental health unit, Blackburn, and was discharged after two weeks.

Mr Parker said on November 27 the defendant went to a house party in Manchester with his now former boyfriend, who was 17 at the time, and a woman he had known for a number of years, Chloe Allan.

Mr Parker said during the course of the afternoon a bottle of vodka had been consumed by the teenager, Templeton and the occupant of the house, Ben Robins.

Mr Parker said: “The defendant appears to have become emotional at some point. There was a falling out by him and his then partner.”

The court heard the teenager began shouting at Templeton, who sat crying with his head in his hands.

Mr Parker said: “Then the defendant appears to have lost it. He picked up the empty vodka bottle and swung it once across the side of his partner’s face. That caused the bottle to break, causing various lacerations to the head and face of his victim.”

Templeton, who has nine convictions for 16 offences, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and unlawful wounding.

Defending, Alison Whalley said her client had been receiving treatment for an emotional personality disorder since he was eight and his mental health had been further hindered by abuse when he was younger.

Ms Whalley said: “This is a short period of time where he has effectively gone off the rails. The background to the arson was that he was trying to take his own life. He was admitted for two weeks which shows at that time there was a mental health crisis.”

Templeton, of Reed Street, Burnley, was jailed for four years, with an extended licence period of two years.

Judge Simon Medland QC said: “There is no doubt in my mind you are a dangerous offender.”