AN ARSONIST who set fire to his flat while disabled people were in the building has been jailed.
James Brown, 37, of Coton Road in Hillmorton, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life. He will serve a further five years on licence following his release.
The court heard that in the early hours of August 10, Brown deliberately started the fire and then left without making any attempt to extinguish it or warn people in neighbouring properties.
CCTV footage showed Brown leaving the flat with flames clearly seen in the background.
Firefighters contacted police to say they believed the fire had been started deliberately, and Brown was arrested when he handed himself in at Nuneaton Police Station.
When interviewed by police, Brown claimed someone had come into his flat and started the fire, and that he had fled without reporting it because he was scared for his life.
Det Cons Barbara Knibbs from CID at Rugby Police Station said: “The consequences of what may have happened are unthinkable.
“There were several disabled people in the building who would not have been able to escape had the fire spread – Brown would have known this.
“Brown now faces a long time behind bars, facing the consequences of his actions.”
