A 20-year-old Kinlochleven man posted social media messages criticising police for their efforts to find the person he said “torched” his flat.
But it was Allan Simpson himself who set fire to several items in his first floor flat of a block of four in Park Road on November 10 last year.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard he had concocted a story about a note he had received threatening to set his home alight. It was purported to say: “You’re getting it for what you’ve done.”
He told police he had been out for a walk and returned to find the flat in flames. But as he sent Facebook messages to friends telling them of the “note” and criticising the police, detectives were checking his alibi and the route he had claimed to take. Tellingly, he did not show up on CCTV.
Simpson was charged with fire-raising on December 3, 23 days after the blaze and again maintained he was not responsible.
However yesterday Simpson, who now lives in Kilmallie Road, Caol, pleaded guilty to wilful fire-raising.
Sentence was deferred until August 24 for a background report and his bail was continued. Defence solicitor Pauline Chapman reserved her comments until then.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart told the court Simpson had set fire to a fleece and furniture in his living room, a curtain, a duvet and a mattress in the two bedrooms.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson heard that a neighbour also saw Simpson outside his flat, leaning against a wall before walking forward three times to look up at his flat, as if in expectation of something happening.
“She described him as being off his face.” Mr Urquhart added.
The court heard Simpson then made a 999 call to the emergency services saying: “My house has been set on fire. I can’t enter the address.”
