A north-east man who started a fire in a block of flats causing more than £90,000 of damage has been jailed.
Michael Conn waited until his “acquaintance” in the flat on St Andrew’s Street, Peterhead, went out before getting into the block.
He first kicked his way into the communal entry, with neighbours spotting him on the landing at about 5.20am on June 10 last year.
After forcing his way into the woman’s flat, Conn set a towel on fire which then spread across the room and caused the smoke alarm to go off.
He then fled the scene as firefighters arrived – but returned the next day, and neighbours pointed him out to police.
Conn admitted setting the fire during an appearance at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Ross told the court: “The cost of damage for the council was just over £90,000.
“No one suffered any injuries.”
Representing Conn, of Brands Butt in Inverurie, defence agent Sam Milligan conceded he had a previous conviction for willful fire-raising but urged the sheriff to defer sentence for his drugs treatment programme to continue.
But Sheriff William Summers refused, and told 22-year-old Conn: “You have pleaded guilty to a charge of willful fire-raising and I am sure you do not need me to tell you how serious this is.
“You appear for the court with a raft of previous convictions including a directly analogous conviction for wilful fireraising.
“I am not prepared to defer sentence.”
He jailed him for 21 months.
